Fallen Stars: A New Age
by CelestiaKnight
Summary: Twelve years have passed since Nightmare was vanquished. Peace seems to have returned to the galaxy, but a growing Kirby now faces new, deeper challenges; nightmares are plaguing his nights, shadows from an unknown past are creeping in, and a need for a parental figure is drawing him toward a certain knight. But the knight becomes ill, and it might just take him away...
1. The Prelude

**Fallen Stars: A New Age**

 **Act 1 - Chapter One: The Prelude**

Dreamland was a peaceful realm.

It was, as its name implied, a land of dreams. Sweet, sweet dreams, visions of peace that cradled its inhabitants kindly. The people were living a perfect dream; no war, no fear, nothing.

But…

As gentle as a dream could be, one knew just what kind of lie it truly was.

A façade.

He knew; the brighter the dream, the darker the nightmare.

It had been twelve years since Nightmare had fallen.

His destroyer, Kirby, was now known as Nightmare's Vanquisher; the Saviour; the Dreamer; the Bearer of Hope. The names kept coming as the years went by, each more creative than the last, but luckily the sheer amount of praise never went to Kirby's head. No, the boy was fine. He was at peace and he was allowed to grow at his own pace, something rare for one of his kind. Their species obviously grew much slower than the Dreamlanders; as they became adults and well into their lives, Kirby was still but a child. He was young, yes, but for his age, he was smart. Growing under the education of a species who grew faster obviously quickened his own knowledge, but, most agreed that Kirby naturally had exceptional learning capabilities.

Needless to say, Kirby was loved by the Dreamlanders. He was loved, cherished, and cared for by all who surrounded him. However, there was one person Kirby truly wished to impress, and that person just so happened to be the hardest person to read in all of Dreamland – no, the whole galaxy!

This person, as always, was by himself.

Alone on the beach, he was long gone into a much different world. Drifting off in a land of dreams, all he did was stare ahead. His gaze was lost into this calm sea, upon which the sun reflected like a perfect mirror; its warm rays spread out on its serene surface in a wave of a million diamonds of fire, burning softly back into embers. He was lost into the drifting sea of his mind.

He was, to say the least, tired. Time was a strange concept. Some said it moved in a straight line, never to be toyed with, never to be disrupted by those living in this realm. But he, he knew it was something else. Much like the sea he was looking at. It appeared calm, beautiful and poetic, but under its surface, it was a deep and dark well of spinning currents and branching paths, each intersecting into the others, easy to break. Like the mind, it was a fragile thing; easy to play with too.

He was so very tired, indeed.

Lost in thoughts of darkness, his mind was all but a toy; a shield, perhaps, was the better term to describe him. An invisible and unflinching shield.

With the end of their training coming sooner than they would think, Sword and Blade had taken in a new trainee, an apprentice for the both of them to teach to. It came as a surprise to the villagers when Bun, who, after ten years of home-schooling and attending a college in a neighbouring country, couldn't decide what to do with his life, and thus came to the knights. He told them – and therefore everyone he knew – that the knights inspired him, that, with knowledge of chivalry and the art of the sword, maybe he could do something for the world as well. After all, he added, weren't they looking for the next generation of warriors? Why wouldn't he be part of it? Why would he not, indeed?

After much consideration and many discussions with Bun's parents, who worried deeply about the repercussions such a path would make, Sword and Blade accepted, and on this day forth, Bun became an apprentice. This change in the knights' routine was a sudden but welcomed one; with his companions busy with Bun, Meta Knight could be by himself, and sort through his personal mess of a mind.

As for Bun's sister, Fumu, many agreed that the years had drastically changed her. From a somewhat controlling, bossy, authoritarian girl who spent her days worrying non-stop for her family and the town, the years that followed Nightmare's fall softened her, in an odd way; while she became more understanding and caring, and perhaps more patient toward her friends and companions, her mind sharpened even more nonetheless. Her plans became clearer; to open a school – an official one – in Dreamland for the first time, a school that would be there to stay and would ensure the education of the future generations.

She knew that the Dreamlanders were somewhat far behind many other countries of Popstar in terms of education and advancements, and the only way she saw that would change that for the better, was to install a good educational program. For five years, she left Dreamland to visit other countries and enrich herself, and now that she was back to her home, her plans were already advancing, yet still not perfect. Luckily for her, she was not alone, and the encouragements came from many good parties in town, mainly from the mayor and the elders.

King Dedede, when he lost his precious demon-beast dispenser, became bored out of his mind. Truly bored. He wasn't done with playing tricks on the villagers in the slightest, but the more he went, the more the villagers noticed; his tricks seemed… lacking, in comparison with all the imaginative pranks he used to pull on everyone. Over the years, some things changed, some didn't. The taxes were as high as ever, the king still wasted his fortune on useless toys and gadgets he would test out on the villagers or his subjects immediately after, and, of course, he still proclaimed Kirby was his great nemesis and, to the boy's surprise, Dedede often liked to remind everyone that he wouldn't let 'the pink hero' dethrone him. Kirby was surprised, as he absolutely had no plans in doing such a useless thing, but he was getting so used to the king's senseless blabbering he had grown quite used to ignoring him. Despite all this, the king was rather calm; after all, it seemed like he had abandoned all plans to get rid of Kirby, and instead resorted to simply complaining in his face. If anything, despite everything that could still be changed, the king was somewhat… kinder, especially toward his subjects. More protective, many would say. After all, the villagers were whispering among each other, Escargon was growing old…

Yes, time was moving in Dreamland. This dream was changing the life of those directly affected by it, in ways only one with a sharp eye could truly notice.

Despite the years that flew by and the moving people, the sea was still the same. A mirror, an endless mirror, into which he could see time itself; yet, he could do nothing to turn the clock back. They were set on this path, like a friend told him many, many years ago, and he could do nothing but stand tall, and accept it. After all, this sea was so beautiful at this hour… He might as well enjoy it, despite how hot the sun was.

Under the mask, his face was slightly burning, but not enough for him to be uncomfortable. The waves of the sea reached up to his feet, submerged them for a few seconds, then receded back into the waters, only to repeat thirty seconds later. This mix of cold and warm felt refreshing for him and his conflicting thoughts.

"Sir Meta Knight?"

His mind felt lost in a thick, heavy fog, and he had to blink multiple times to get out of its restraining grasp. Cape held tightly around his round form, he turned his amber gaze to his right. Coming his way, were his apprentices, Sword and Blade.

"Sir," Blade started as he and his brother saluted him briefly, as per usual.

He nodded as greetings, and his eyes traveled on each of them for a short moment. Shortly after Nightmare's defeat, Sword and Blade had judged the villagers trustworthy enough to reveal their faces to them in public, and had now taken a habit of walking around without their helms, sometimes without armour, as peace, Meta Knight had once said, signified that they could also rest. After all, he had added, _he_ should be the only one to carry such a heavy load. To please their lord, they had agreed.

Ever since they had saved the villagers by revealing the unfinished Halberd to the world, the three of them noticed that the townsfolk were more open to them; they would salute them when going through town, sometimes even coming straight to them to converse. It was a nice and welcomed change; although, truth be told, no one could expect to one day see the overlord's mysterious face, for his mask was one he had firmly melted on his skin, and would never take off in public. _Just because I have to hide, doesn't mean you two need to,_ he had told his apprentices. And now, the result was a satisfying bond of trust between them and the villagers.

"Have you finished already?" the elder knight asked his companions, voice low and husky.

"Yes Sir," Sword answered promptly. "We actually finished our patrol an hour ago. We took Bun to a small training session after since he was up for it. There's nothing unusual to report, as always."

"The king has been pretty quiet lately," Blade added, scratching his chin thoughtfully. "He hasn't done anything in a while, but, other than that, he seems pretty normal."

Meta Knight gave a short chuckle, turning back to look at the sea, eyes half-closed.

"I don't mind the quietness, for a change. Just keep an eye on him. How did Bun do, today? Is he showing progress?"

"He did pretty good," Sword said, nodding in synch with his brother. "He's got a lot of energy to spend lately, so he's been working well."

"He still just needs more training with a sword," Blade said. "He can't hold a stance right and he gets disarmed easily, but I feel he compensates by being a good dodger."

"Heh, can't argue with that," his brother chuckled. "He's a fast little kid, Sir. You'd be proud!"

The elder knight slowly nodded his head soundlessly, and his companions could just tell he was smiling behind that mask.

"I'll watch next time you train. I just… needed to get out, today."

"Do you… feel better?" Sword cautiously asked him, arching his eyebrows worriedly. "Your coughing, uh… got a bit worse this morning, didn't it?"

The blue knight shook his head dismissively, holding his cape tighter around him as the waters rose a bit higher than his feet, reaching to his hips and sending cold shivers up his spine.

"Don't worry about me," he told them as if an order. "How about you two go back? I suppose you remember that you promised your best cooking tonight."

At those words, Blade snickered and rubbed his gloves together, making his brother laugh.

"It's already in the oven! It should be ready in about thirty minutes max."

Meta Knight nodded his head.

"Then I will join you in thirty minutes. Go on ahead now."

They both saluted their leader, called "Sir!", then turned around and left, leaving a smiling knight on the beach. He chuckled again. Talking with them always filled his darkened heart with warmth… How much they had grown, these kids…

Before heading back to the castle, he decided to turn back and head for town. A good walk around the shades of the trees and the houses would maybe help clear the fog in his mind.

* * *

At the same moment, inside the castle, Bun was heading back to his home, completely covered in dirt and mud. Stretching his arms above his head with a yawn, he thought about how he needed to think of a better way to roll out of the way and dodge the mud at the same time. Right now, his technique lacked… a bit of everything. He consoled himself by thinking that, at least, he was quick, and at least Sword and Blade had told him that themselves, so he was in the right direction. Now, he was heading back home, ready to dive straight into the shower.

However, as he was making his way through the castle hallways and walked past the throne room, he had to stop, for inside, he heard the sudden ruckus of glass breaking, followed by the king yelling, quite loudly.

"Idiots! Don't drop it, it's all we got left! You'd better hope none of 'em are broken, you morons!"

Bun was surprised by such wording, for even though the king could get rather spicy when triggered, he usually didn't directly threaten his subjects like that.

"Now, now, Your Majesty, I'm sure they're all fine. I'm actually fairly surprised you knew we still had those… I know I forgot. Especially after last time's fiasco. That was years ago!"

"Of course I'd remember!" the king answered matter-of-factly with an indignant slur in his voice. "What do you think I am, a goldfish? No, you don't waste good demon-maker like that!"

Bun had to bite down on a gasp to keep quiet. Demon maker?! They still had some?

"It is called Grand Esker Demon-Beast Formula, thank you…"

"It don't matter! Now all of you get that mess cleaned, and you lot, get those samples back to Escargon's lab. And don't break any!"

His heart palpitating, Bun immediately ran behind a pillar, hiding just in time to see a group of six Waddle Dees, two in the lead with four behind, holding a large wooden crate on their head, something tingling inside with each of their synchronized steps. Taking a deep breath, Bun, without a second thought, quietly followed behind them, making sure that no one saw him behind.

* * *

Kirby was as happy as one his age could be. He was lucky to have everything he needed; as Hero of Popstar, after all, he was privileged. If he wanted food, furniture or goods, all he needed to do was to ask, and the Hero would receive. However, despite it all, Kirby was a humble young man. In exchange for goods, he would offer his services all around town, as he didn't have money to pay with. Instead, he contented himself in helping around the community, in many diverse little jobs, keeping him quite busy.

This evening, Kirby had eaten at Kawasaki's restaurant after helping the chef all day, and now the little pink puffball was completely full. Walking out of the establishment, he waved Kawasaki goodbye with a wide, shining smile.

"Thanks for the meal!" he called back to the happy chef. "You're getting better with that recipe. You'll soon be able to put it up on the menu!"

"Aah! You think so?" Kawasaki smiled, overjoyed. "Thank you! Come back tomorrow, I'll test some more things! You helped me enough today, so you won't have to work for a while. Take a break!"

Kirby agreed to come back, even though he didn't feel the need to take a break, and wandered away into town, content in mind and body. At this hour, the town was getting quieter as people went back in for dinner, and the few cappies Kirby crossed paths with greeted him kindly, as per usual. And as usual, Kirby only smiled at them before continuing on his way. In fact, he was glad to see the streets so empty and quiet. It was actually rare that he got to be alone…

For a second, Kirby stopped walking. In the distance, at the end of the street that lead straight into the main plaza, he could see the setting sun, casting its soft rays upon the town and lengthening every shadow. The contrast was so sudden in Kirby's gaze, he remained standing there for who knows how long, just staring. Something in this sight… was mesmerizing. Melancholic too. A strange sorrow then took over him. The shadows were darkening, the light fading…

Slowly blinking his eyes, Kirby snapped out of his small trance, slightly confused. With a small chuckle at himself, he rubbed his face with both of his hands and resumed walking, as if nothing happened. He did, however, feel slightly tired now…

When he arrived in the main plaza, that he thought to be empty at first, his smile came back, almost instantly. Now that was a happier sight! Meta Knight was there, sitting on a bench in front of the great tree that adorned the plaza. With his cape partially covering his arms yet not entirely wrapped around him, the knight was staring at an object in his hand, eyes glowing a soft, thoughtful green. Smiling at the thought of a late afternoon talk with his mentor, Kirby trotted over to him.

Even when he sat down next to the older man, Meta Knight didn't react to his presence, and Kirby took a moment to look at what he had in hand. It was an old looking brooch… Shaped like either a leaf or a flower petal, it was humbly decorated with clean and shining jewels and beautiful golden trims shaped like sprouts and flower buds. Meta Knight's thumb kept rubbing over its surface in an automated gesture, and only when Kirby leaned in closer to get a better look did he snap out of his dreamland and turn to him. Eyes glowing back to their usual golden hue, he sounded surprised, in a somewhat pleased way.

"Oh, Kirby," he spoke. "I didn't notice you there."

Kirby smiled right back at him.

"It's fine, I just arrived. How are you doing today, Sir?"

Meta Knight gave him a small nod, turning his head to look ahead at nothing in particular.

"I am doing well, thank you for asking. How about you?"

The younger of the two nodded right back, his smile growing.

"I'm doing great! I've just been doing the usual, you know, helping around everywhere and stuff. It's pretty great…"

He marked a pause here, turning to look at the knight, and gestured toward the mysterious object he was still holding.

"What's that?" he asked curiously.

As if surprised by the question, Meta Knight looked down at the brooch and gave a dismissal wave of his hand before putting it away in his cloak.

"Oh, it's nothing," he answered simply. "Just a trinket."

Kirby smirked. A trinket, uh? He wasn't really the type to wear trinkets… but he let that go for now. Somehow, his mentor sounded… odd. Tired. For a moment, they simply sat there, in a pleasant silence, watching the sun set over the horizon. Kirby was actually simply glad to be here with him. Every time he spent time with his elder, he was just overtaken by a balm of serenity that helped clear his mind, and that was an effect no one else in town had ever had on him. Truly, compared to everyone else he knew, Meta Knight was unique, in his own, mysterious and unexplainable ways, and he was glad to be able to call him a friend.

"Sir Meta Knight?" Kirby eventually asked.

"Yes?"

"Uhm, I don't mean to sound, uh, like I'm impatient or something, but, uh… Do you remember when you told me we would rearrange my training schedule so that I could actually train more? Uhm, it's been two months since then and, uh… still no new schedule."

Meta Knight's silence had his heart beat a bit louder in his chest for a moment, but the sigh he heard from the knight soon after slightly appeased him.

"Oh, I know, and I apologize for that," the knight answered. "Truth be told, I was a bit more busy than I thought I would be when I told you this, and it simply went over my head."

He turned his golden gaze to him, making Kirby look back.

"Listen," the knight began. "Tomorrow, come to my quarters, and we will arrange this schedule. There are many things I have yet to teach you, so it would indeed be wise to get to it as soon as possible. I hope you forgive me for being so late."

Kirby couldn't stop that smile from stretching his face in a wide grin.

"Really?! Yes!"

Finally, he would be able to get back to a proper training! The small sparring sessions he had from time to time with his mentor were fun, yes, but compared to Bun's rather intense training, his seemed… lacking. Of course, he had been right to assume Meta Knight was busy, but now he couldn't help but be excited. Tomorrow couldn't come quicker! Good thing he was given a break from Kawasaki!

However, Kirby lost his smile when he heard a sudden cough, followed by a dozen more. They were raucous, husky, broken; and each and every one felt like a stab to his heart, and he flinched. Meta Knight had to raise his hand to his visor as the coughs made him bend forward, and when his coughing fit finally passed, he simply acted like nothing happened and nodded his head, clearing his raucous throat.

"Yes," he answered before visibly swallowing and taking a deep breath. "I'm sure you've been waiting for a while for this. Why did you not ask me sooner?"

Kirby frowned. Always trying to change the subject, as usual. Typical Meta Knight.

"Uhm… I don't know, I didn't want to sound pestering or anything. What have you been doing to be so busy lately?"

For a moment, Meta Knight remained quiet, marking another pause in their conversation.

"Well, as you know, I resumed working under Sir Arthur's orders, and let's just say that they keep me rather occupied. It is nothing to worry yourself over."

He gave a sigh…

"At least not yet…"

Those words had been spoken silently, in a soft, tired whisper. It took Kirby a moment to register them, to understand them and assimilate them. And it made his eyes widen slightly, before he turned to look at him. It dawned on him how tired his elder actually was… His eyes, with their slightly faded glow, were half-closed, his head hunched forward a bit, as if in deep thought, and that slur of fatigue in his voice that made it huskier than usual… Kirby arched his brows worriedly.

"Are you sick?" he asked kindly, voice softened by his feelings of concern. "Maybe we don't have to train so soon…"

Meta Knight lightly shook his head, quickly gathering himself up and raising his head to look at him with a deep sigh.

"Don't worry about it, Kirby. It's just a cold. I'll be fine soon. Just come to my quarters tomorrow, and we'll talk about it. Besides, sick or not, you need that training."

Kirby raised his shoulders nonchalantly, saying:

"It's not like I'm in a hurry or anything. Nightmare's gone, and we haven't seen a demon-beast or those one-time villains around here in over five years. We got time, don't we?"

He smiled at his elder, who appeared to be smiling back.

"Of course, you are right, but keep in mind that we never know what else might come our way, and there is much knowledge about your powers that we have yet to tap into. Truth be told, I do believe you should be old enough to reach the next phase of your training as a Star Warrior."

Kirby's interest suddenly rose and he smiled brightly. Next phase? What sort of phase could it be? Before he could question him on that subject, the knight gave a strained sigh and slid down the bench to the ground. He wrapped himself in his cape, an habit that, for once, looked very welcomed for the knight, and turned to him.

"For now, I am afraid I must take my leave," he said with a nod of his head. "Remember, come to me tomorrow, and we will work on this schedule."

Kirby's smile widened a bit and he stood up as well.

"Okay! I'll be there! See you tomorrow, Sir!"

And on these words, Meta Knight turned and began walking down the road, on his way to the castle. For a moment, Kirby stood still, watching his slowly shrinking form as the rays of the setting sun cast their final lights on him. As he watched, however, Kirby's eyes began to close… His eyelids became heavy all of a sudden, and he had to blink a few times and rub them to pour life back into them. He was more tired than he thought after this long day of work, he told himself. A good night's sleep would be just perfect right now.

Turning away as well, Kirby walked down another street, toward the sun, toward his sweet little house, unaware that behind him, his cast shadow stretched unnaturally, blacker than ink on the ground…

* * *

The Waddle Dees carried the crate of tingling bottles all the way across the castle, and Bun followed them along, testing out his stealth skills. He was terribly curious as to what the king planned to do with this – or if he would use the serum at all – but Bun was also worried, for he well remembered all the disasters that occurred and could have happened with this back in the days.

The small creatures soon began to descend into the castle's underground floors, and Bun waited for them to be farther down the stairs before following behind in the shadows, trying as best as he could to not make a single sound. Of course, as the king had ordered, the servants were heading toward Escargon's basement lab, a place he hadn't heard of in a long time. As far as he knew, Escargon hadn't done an experiment in a long time, probably due to the lack of demon-beasts to test it on. He hadn't suspected them to have kept samples of this terrifying demon maker serum… But why? Did Dedede still want to make demons of his own? Powered up Waddle Dees, maybe? More toys to make up for the boredom? Whatever it was, he couldn't let this go. This stuff was dangerous!

At the end of the spiral staircase, the Waddle Dees carried the crate across a small, cold hallway, at the end of which they entered a door. They left it open as they went in, so Bun quickly and quietly went in after them, ducking to the side to hide in a dark corner of the dusty room. He silently waited for their senseless blabbering and the squeaks of their feet to leave the room, and when the door finally closed behind them, he left his hiding spot. The room was dark, so he quickly went to turn on the lights. It was obvious that no one had come here in quite a while…

Dust had settled on every piece of furniture, and the computers hadn't been used in so long that they were covered in protective plastics. Every other piece of electronic was turned off and hidden behind more plastic. It looked like Escargon hadn't planned on coming back here in a long time… Because of how little the room had been used in recent years, the sudden arrival of the crate among the furniture made it stand out so much from the rest that Bun stood still a moment staring at it, surprised at how not-hidden-at-all it was. The Waddle Dees had just put it there, on the ground near an empty and dusty office desk. There wasn't any lid on it and Bun could easily take a look inside the crate at its contents. There were nothing else but what first looked like wine bottles; but Bun recognized the reddish colour of the serum and its thicker texture that differentiated it from wine, and he counted the bottles. Eleven. From what he had heard earlier, one of them must have broke in the throne room…

And so, with this in mind, Bun lifted the crate with a grunt and held it on his shoulder, before turning his back on the room and heading back outside. When he closed the lights and closed the door behind him, he didn't see the eye that stared at his back, hidden in the shadows…

* * *

"This is the current situation as I know it, sir."

A groan came from the wide screen implanted in the wall. In the Knights' appartment, the lord, his apprentices and their own apprentice were all gathered in front of the screen, where a concerned Sir Arthur had his arms crossed with his eyes closed in thought. Currently, the great general was far away from Popstar, in a place where all the remaining Star Warriors could contact him. Of course, after Nightmare's defeat, he and Meta Knight established this contact link so they could keep each other informed of everything going on on their end.

 _"_ _This is most troublesome, Meta Knight,"_ Arthur said over the screen, opening his misty purple eyes. _"How many samples of this serum are in that crate? Do you know if they have more?"_

"There are eleven 750 ml bottles," Meta Knight answered calmly, nodding his head at the crate that sat on the table before them. "From what Bun has told us, the twelfth sample broke in the throne room while they were attempting to move it. I do not know if there are more, but considering Doctor Escargon himself had forgotten about these, it is unlikely."

 _"_ _I see,"_ Arthur said with a nod. _"For the moment, I want you to get rid of this serum safely, but keep a sample for us to study. Next time I send someone to Popstar, they will retrieve it. For now, I need you to keep your eyes open for anything that may seem strange. Keep an eye out specifically for demon-beasts that may result from reckless use of this serum. Understood?"_

Meta Knight nodded, saying quickly:

"Yes, sir."

 _"_ _Also, Master Bun?"_ Arthur added, making the young man lift his head and stand straight. _"Excellent work out there. Keep your eyes peeled, young soldier!"_

Bun couldn't stop that huge grin from stretching his face, and he gave a solid salute, calling:

"Yes, sir! Thanks, sir!"

Arthur offered them a salute of his own, followed by a quick and humble bow for his old friend Meta Knight, and the contact was cut off right after, leaving the screen blank. For a moment after the screen went dark, Meta Knight stood there, wrapped in his cape, as if lost in thoughts, but when Sword spoke, he turned around.

"Sir, do we proceed like last time with the serum?"

The lord nodded his head, answering:

"Yes, do so. I will leave things in your care for tonight. Remember to leave one bottle untouched. Hide it carefully."

"Understood, sir."

"How do you get rid of this?" Bun questioned, looking over to the crate. "You can't just throw it away, right?"

"No, we can't," Blade answered, taking a bottle in hand to look at the content through the glass. "If this thing gets out and pollutes rivers outside, who knows what horrible monstrosities would spawn out of this."

"The first time the king and Escargon used it," Sword continued, "we took a sample of our own and experimented on it. Turns out, it reacts to a specific mix of chemicals and turns completely inoffensive. With the proper mix, it becomes simple water."

"Whoa," Bun marveled. "Does it work on people or animals who were poisoned by it?"

The two subbordinates looked at each other before giving clueless shrugs.

"No idea," Blade said simply.

"We're not foolish enough to test it out on ourselves," Sword laughed. "The good thing is, at least we can make it not dangerous at all and just get rid of it safely. Come on, we'll show you how it's done. Also good job out there!"

As Bun laughed shyly, trying to act as humble as someone like Bun could, Meta Knight turned around with a smirk and headed straight for the balcony doors. However, as he grasped the handles of the double doors, he paused, then turned around back to the trio gathering around the crate.

"Bun."

The young man looked up at him.

"Do not tell Kirby of what you found."

Bun appeared surprised, but nodded his head all the same, giving a brief salute.

"Um, yes, sir. But why? Shouldn't he know about this kind of stuff?"

Meta Knight shook his head briefly.

"Tomorrow, Kirby starts his new training. He does not need to worry himself with this with what's to come. Am I clear?"

Although he didn't seem sure, Bun still shook his head positively, answering:

"Yes, sir."

With one last nod of acknowledgement, he opened and closed the doors behind him and went on to perch himself on top of the blocks that lined the edge of the balcony, leaving the other three inside. As he took a comfortable standing position and set his gaze toward the heavens, the knight not only thought about the serum problem, but also about the day after. Perhaps… Kirby was ready for this kind of training… After all, the child was proving much stronger than he thought, and he was certainly impatient to learn more. Maybe it was the right time for this… If only this blasted night could be over already…

But alas, he could already hear them… empty voices… carried through the stars… he was so tired of hearing them…

He just needed to focus.

Focus.

Focus…


	2. A Cup of Wine

**Fallen Stars: A New Age**

 **Act 1 - Chapter Two: A Cup of Wine**

Kirby eagerly knocked three times.

Outside was nothing short of a beautiful day; birds were singing in the early morning as a warm sun slowly climbed over the horizon, and a gentle wind swept across the land, sneaking its way inside the castle through the opened windows in a refreshing breeze. Kirby moved from one foot to the other, almost impatient, and he looked to both sides of the corridor, briefly wondering if he came in too early. If his mentor was sick, maybe he was still sleeping…? Maybe he should turn back and come back la-

As soon as that thought came to him and he was about to turn away, the door opened and an armour-less Blade greeted him with a smile.

"Hello, Kirby," he welcomed him, stepping aside. "We weren't expecting you so soon. Please, come in."

With a wide, shy grin, Kirby walked in. The mood in the main room of the apartment was oddly lighthearted; in the corner of the room, a gramophone was playing sweet, toe-tapping tunes that floated nicely through the young warrior's ears and seemed quite fitting for this sunny morning. Meta Knight was sitting in his usual armchair, a cup of coffee in one hand and a book in the other, and the elder's eyes glowed at Kirby as he walked in.

"Good morning, Kirby," the mentor greeted his student, who greeted him back. "You're quite early."

"Heh," Kirby laughed, scratching the back of his head, "I couldn't wait to work on that training. But if you want to finish your coffee, I can wait!"

Meta Knight chuckled lightly and stood from his chair, mug still in hand and book left on the seat, and spoke as he walked to the main table of the room:

"It's fine. The sooner we start to work on this, the sooner you can start the actual training. Now, come here. I already prepared some of the planning, but in the end, the schedule will entirely depend on you."

Kirby eagerly followed him to the table and jumped on a chair to take a look at the board his mentor had put down. He had already made a schedule chart with all the days of the week and the hours of the day and even night, suggesting that Kirby could work at night time, although that particular prospect was one Kirby didn't look forward to.

While Meta Knight was explaining that this special training would ask a lot of time out of him and that he needed to separate his time evenly between work and resting so he could save as much energy as he needed, Kirby was too eager and excited to pay attention to nothing else but his elder's instructions, and thus he never noticed Sword and Blade leaving the quarters in silence. The young hero offered the idea that if he stopped doing work for the villagers in town, he would have twice as more time than he currently had, and though Meta Knight worried for a split second whether Kirby would do alright without doing work outside of just training, the knight agreed and recommended that he give his training his full attention and focus.

Mid-way through arranging the schedule, Kirby eventually asked:

"By the way, what's this training about? Is it really that tough? You make it sound like I'm gonna die out there!"

Meta Knight only gave a chuckle and took a sip of his coffee, answering:

"If I were to tell you everything, it wouldn't be much of a surprise. However, I can tell you that, indeed, it is a very rough training that will demand a lot out of you, both physically and mentally. Now, just focus on finishing this schedule, then we'll head out and I'll instruct you on what you must do."

Kirby thought this over for a moment, nodding his head as he was explaining, and without a word, went straight back to work. Barely twenty minutes later, he was proudly done, and Meta Knight went to hang the board on the wall. From now on, he explained, Kirby would live by this schedule until he was told him otherwise. Right after that, the knight gestured him to follow and he brought his young pupil outside the castle. Kirby thought they would go into the courtyard as usual, but instead they crossed the drawbridge, greeting a few Waddle Dees along the way, and headed out onto the road.

Meta Knight brought him upon the large plains that surrounded the castle hill and the village, wide and spacey hills of grass and flowers where only children and wandering cappies ventured into. From here, they had a magnificent view of the nearby sea, and a few trees growing upon the meadow offered a nice shade from the coming heat. Hundreds of thousands of small, green flower buds promised an eruption of flowers soon to come, and that thought alone made Kirby love this place even more.

Once they arrived, Meta Knight took in a deep, content breath, and the fresh winds made his cape waver behind him, carrying a nice, salty smell.

"Now," the elder spoke up, turning toward him with eyes blazing in the sunlight. "I will teach you all about Copy Abilities Combinations."

Kirby blinked multiple times. Did he hear right?

"Copy Abilities Combinations?" he repeated, arching an eyebrow quizzically. "What's that?"

His mentor cleared his throat a bit before beginning his explanation.

"As a Star Warrior with Copy Abilities such as your own," he began, "you naturally have countless powers within you. Of course, you must grow in strength and wisdom in order to activate them, as you must have noticed. The older and stronger you get, the more abilities are offered to you. However, there is another way to find even more hidden abilities, and that is through combination. Here, let me show you."

He brought out a knife from his belt and extended his hand to show him, and Kirby watched intently.

"If you inhale a knife, you get the Sword ability. That, you know by now. However," he spoke, searching in his pocket and producing a lighter, which he flicked on in one move of his thumb.

He joined the knife and the lighter, one next to the other.

"Should you inhale fire with it, the Sword ability will adapt, and you will find yourself with a new ability, one that combines both the Sword and the Fire abilities."

Kirby awed in wonder at the thought and he immediately blurted out:

"Woah! That's awesome! You mean I like, have a crap ton of possibilities of powers if I combine stuff together? That's so cool!"

Although Meta Knight gave a mix of a snort and a chuckle at his enthusiasm, he closed the lighter and put both of the items down on the ground.

"Well then," he said, stepping to the side to a good distance, "how about you try? Inhale these."

Surprised that they were starting already, Kirby hesitated only very briefly and quickly took a stance, securing his feet on the ground. There were so many possibilities! Why wasn't he told this sooner? He could have been combining abilities since the start and got done with pesky demon-beasts and bad guys much faster! He would be unstoppable now! With this in mind, Kirby opened his mouth wide and gusts of air suddenly spiralled right inside. The two items flew off of the ground and were promptly inhaled. He closed his mouth on them and immediately felt them fall into the bottomless pocket universe located inside him.

The knife flashed in his mind. The lighter lit right up with a tiny flame. And a bright light engulfed the young warrior, taking over his body in a single second. And with another second, the light subsided… only to reveal that he had the Sword hat on his head and a basic sword in hand. Shocked, Kirby looked down at himself. Well, he didn't really know what he expected… Meta Knight chuckled in amusement, making him look up with reddening cheeks as the knight walked back in front.

"Don't get yourself too worked up," he said lightly. "Combining abilities together is much harder than it looks."

Spitting out the items on the ground, Kirby frowned and pouted, crossing his arms.

"You could have told me before, you know."

"I just wanted to see whether you could already do it or not," the knight said, suppressing another laugh. "Although I wasn't really expecting it. It would have taken a miracle for you to do it so soon, without the proper knowledge and training required."

"Then how do I do it?" Kirby questioned.

"For now," Meta Knight said as he picked the lighter back from the grass, "I want you to keep inhaling this knife, over and over. As you do so, I want you to focus intently on the path the knife takes inside you."

By the confused gaze Kirby gave him, Meta Knight assumed he wasn't clear enough and continued.

"When you inhale something, it immediately goes into the hidden universe in your stomach. That's where you store everything that you inhale and where the items you choose fuse with you to become a Copy Ability. You knew that already, correct?"

Kirby remembered previous lessons about his abilities that he had had over the years with his mentor, and though he needed to think twice to remember everything, he nodded his head. The way Meta Knight had once explained it, was that his stomach was literally a whole Universe that he could call his own, where he stored not only food, objects and abilities, but many other things such as memories, dreams and hopes. He told him that if he focused enough, he could go inside that Universe of his and actually manage everything inside. He wasn't surprised now to hear that there was more to that Universe of his…

"When you inhale that knife, I want you to keep focussing on it," Meta Knight spoke. "Keep its presence etched into your eyes as it travels in your pocket universe, and see it evolve into the ability. See it fuse with you, and memorize it."

Meta Knight paused here to turn his head a bit to the side and gave a few coughs that immediately reminded Kirby of his coughing fit the day before. It lasted but a few seconds, and he turned back to him like nothing was wrong and continued explaining, although Kirby's focus was slightly broken now.

"In other words," he strained to say before clearing his throat. "Just keep inhaling that knife until you know the exact path it will take to fuse with you. Once you know that path, we'll go on to the next phase. Am I clear?"

Kirby gave a solid nod, even though he wasn't so sure of what path he meant. Whenever he inhaled something, it just went in, and he would feel it explode and fuse with him, and that would be it. He frowned a bit. Of course, if he wanted to master this new combination power, he needed to work hard, and work hard he would do!

Motivated, the young boy inhaled the knife once more and closed his eyes tightly. Once again, he felt it go down into the pit of his stomach… but he immediately lost track of it, and when he opened his eyes, the Sword hat adorned his head once more.

"I can't see it," he said in a disappointed manner toward his mentor, who simply nodded his head at him.

"Try again. Keep trying until you see it. Once you do, don't loose sight of it, and memorize its path."

Kirby took in a deep breath. Okay, no sweat. He could do it. He _would_ do it!

As the young hero spat out the knife and tried once more, Meta Knight stepped back to go and sit in the grass with a deep sigh. He produced his book from his cape. This could take a long time… a longer time than Kirby was expecting… Time to see if or when the boy would give up.

* * *

For the whole day, Kirby and Meta Knight remained in that very same spot, and as the sun rose up into the sky, more and more villagers became aware that Kirby was training out there and came to take a look at their hero. However, they were surprised at the strange scene they witnessed; Kirby inhaling and spitting out a knife, again and again, while Meta Knight was off by the side in the grass, leisurely reading a book. Just what was Kirby doing, they wondered quizzically as they wandered in and out of the training meadow, contenting themselves in watching from a distance.

However, from an even greater distance, the great and bored king of Dreamland was watching through his telescope. Perched on a high balcony in one of the highest ramparts of his mighty fortress, he was watching over the hills, as bored and empty as ever.

"What a boring day."

"You've said that seven times already, Your Majesty," Escargon spoke from behind.

The old snail was 'busy' resting on a long-chair in the shade of a parasol. He waited for a passing Waddle Dee to fill his glass with juice before taking it from the small table next to him and sipping from the straw.

"I think it's a beautiful da-"

" _AAAAARHHH!_ " they both suddenly heard echoing through the air, making them gasp and jump in surprise.

"What was that?!" Dedede questioned, looking around.

It sounded like it came from far away, so he quickly grasped his telescope and rose it to his face to look around. It took him a few rounds to find it, but eventually he did see; that pink squirt, over there in the meadows, with his own Captain of the guard. Although he couldn't hear them from here, he could see clearly that Kirby was frustrated; the pink guy threw something on the ground and sat down, crossing his arms, while Meta Knight was standing up as if saying something. What were they doing?

"Huh?" the king heard Escargon from the side. "Who's that over there?"

"Pinkie and Mister Blue," the great king responded in a snort. "Sounds like Kirby's failin' at something for once. Heh, serves him right!"

"Are they training?" Escargon asked, squinting his eyes to try and see the two dots in the distance.

"Yeah, but they ain't fightin'. What's Kirby up to now… I'm sure he's planning on taking me down to take my throne, I know the squirt wants my castle, I can see it in those big, googly eyes of his! Or maybe he's trying to get so strong, all the commoners will think he'd be a better king than me! Then they'll try and take me down and make _him_ king!"

Escargon shrugged and turned away, as if uninterested, and told him:

"Or maybe he's just training to protect your kingdom, Your Majesty. You really shouldn't obsess over him like this. It's not good for your health. Just let him be for once. Anyway, aren't you supposed to meet Mayor Len and Parm about the New Year's festival? Gotta get those preparations going. I recall you were pretty hyped about it this year."

Suddenly, Dedede raised his head in realization and put the telescope down, exclaiming:

"Of course I didn't forget! What're ya implyin'?"

And he went off with a quick step, leaving his old friend behind as the snail muttered:

"I didn't imply anything…"

As soon as the king left, Escargon sat back in the long chair with a deep sigh. It was steadily getting harder and harder to drag that shell of his around… It was even more harder to keep up with the king at this rate! He looked up in the distance, stopping himself in putting back his sunglasses. He wouldn't say it in front of the jealous monarch, but he at least was grateful that Kirby was around. Even without Nightmare, a lot of incredible things still happened to Dreamland every year, be it lost demon-beasts finding their way here, or strange beings from outer space or even other dimensions coming here to wreak havoc. At least, with Kirby around, the problem was always solved by the end of the day, and life would continue. Plus, it was quite entertaining to watch; he could only wonder what else that mysterious knight of theirs could teach to the pink lad. With a smirk, he laid back down in the shade of the parasol. He might look into it later.

* * *

"It's not working! I can't see it!"

Kirby had been hard at work for the past four hours, and he still bore no results. Every time, every single time the knife went down the endless pit of his stomach, it would vanish in an instant and he would lose track of it without being allowed even a fraction of a second's chance to grasp it.

"This is stupid…," Kirby mumbled, staring at the ground as he sat in the grass.

The knife sat there, in front of him, as if mocking him again and again, _'You didn't catch me, try again'_ , and he didn't like this feeling at all. Why couldn't he see it? Was he just not ready to do it? He heard Meta Knight's armour clank slightly as the knight walked up next to him, and he picked the knife up from the ground. His mentor eyed the weapon carefully and slowly wiped the blade with his cape.

"As I said," the elder spoke, "do not expect to succeed immediately. For all we know, it could take you years to see the path of your abilities, and even more years for you to merge two items together."

Those words didn't help at all… Kirby became downcast, and he gave a deep sigh. Meta Knight stepped a bit closer, and the words he spoke next made his pupil look back up at him.

"But, you know… Mh. I will tell you a story."

A story? Kirby wondered. How would a story help? However, as he stared into his elder's eyes, they began to shine with a distant light, the same light that glowed and illuminated his features whenever the knight thought about the past. A soft green glow took over the amber of his gaze as he stared at the horizon, recalling words from long ago, and Kirby simply listened in silence as he spoke.

"When I was a boy, my father told me the story of a legend passed down from the old generations of our kind. It is a legend of hope. Long ago, when Nightmare first appeared in the shadows of the Universe and began to spread the darkness he held, a terrible and never-ending war began. The people of the main systems involved in it called it the Dream War."

Kirby frowned a bit. He already knew that… but the part about his father stuck with him. It was the first time Meta Knight ever mentioned his family, or him being a boy to begin with. Somehow, Kirby found it hard to imagine him as a child, and doing so only made him smirk in amusement, even as Meta Knight recalled the war of long ago.

"During those dark times, many came to lose what little hope they had that they would win this battle against the nightmares. For many, the dream was lost to darkness, and it seemed best to give in and let Nightmare come."

Kirby looked down a bit. He hadn't realized how terrible those times must have been… Truly, he had been lucky to be born in a time without war, even though he had had to fight very early on in his life. At least, he hadn't had to go through a horrible war to achieve his goal… Endless battles against endless armies of demon-beasts… seeing friends and families die, day after day…

"However, there came those who did not abandon the cause. The small flicker of hope turned into a story, passed from ear to ear, from one soldier to another. It was the story of a nameless soldier, a Star Warrior unlike any other."

Those words made him look back up. Meta Knight's eyes were glowing in wonder.

"This god-like warrior would rise among them as their kin, they would defeat any and all enemies and obstacles thrown in their way, and, one day, they would strike Nightmare in the heart and bring a definite end to this nightmare. The stories about this warrior were many, and none praised them any less than the other. This story alone brought the soldiers' morale back up, and they were able to live and fight, with the belief that, one day, this warrior would appear among them."

Meta Knight looked back down at him, slowly blinking his eyes back into a soothing golden that reached far down inside Kirby; the child could feel all the hope of those who fought long ago into his voice, and he felt warm inside, somewhat…

"But," Meta Knight said, "the warrior did not appear, and we lost the war. However, fourteen years ago, when I met you…"

Kirby blinked his eyes in surprise. Did he mean…?

"Wait," the boy said. "You think I'm…?"

The elder knight slowly nodded his head, and Kirby sat there, mouth slightly agape, until the knight spoke up again.

"Yes. When I met you, I… had a feeling. I had a feeling that all the stories my father and mother told me when I was as tall as you were true. That I had a reason to keep hope. Apparently, I was right, for barely two years later, you were defeating Nightmare, and everything we fought for came to a glorious conclusion. Thanks to you, the balance was restored."

The knight took two steps forward and slowly kneeled down on one foot, his voice straining a bit as he did. He looked Kirby in the eyes and handed him the knife, pommel first.

"I believe that you are indeed the Last Hope we fought for, and because of this, I also believe that you can be the greatest warrior to ever walk the stars."

Kirby stared at him for a long time before looking down at the knife. Meta Knight… believed in him…

"Remember, Kirby, that both you and I will live for a very, very long time. We will see ages pass by, civilizations rise and fall. You have Time itself in your hands. If you don't succeed today, you have tomorrow, and if you don't succeed tomorrow, you have the day after. Do not rush yourself, and the results may surprise you."

He had time… Yes, he had time… With a light smile appearing on his face, the boy took the knife in his hand, looking back up into the knight's golden gaze. In the light of the day, at the angle they were in the meadow, and at such a close distance from each other, Kirby could actually see… through the mask's dark visor… the outline of a mouth, curved up into a kind smile… That alone made him widen his eyes and grow his own smile into a wide grin, and he nodded his head, resolute.

Although, as Kirby stood back on his feet and Meta Knight straightened back up, Kirby's thoughts wandered off into a much grimmer territory… If they were doomed to live this long…

"Sir Meta Knight?" he asked.

"Yes?"

"If we have all these years to live… then everyone I know will die…"

The knight's gaze looked down a short moment, and he nodded his head.

"Unfortunately, yes. It is something we have to accept. Our species, the Kiridans, have always been watchers of time, and so we must accept the time that was allowed for others."

To Meta Knight's surprise, Kirby didn't add more to this and simply nodded his head in understanding. That child always surprised him. Here he had thought he would complain about it, but here he was, looking at this child as he matured before his very eyes. Instead, Kirby looked at him in his eyes in a way only him could and spoke in a way only him could.

"Will you stay with me then?" he asked. "When everyone else is gone and I'm alone, are you gonna be with me? I don't… I'm kinda scared of being alone…"

Meta Knight blinked a few times. It wasn't like Kirby to speak like this… Maybe he should have saved that explanation for another time… No, he told himself. Kirby was mature enough to speak of such matters, and it was something he needed to go through to grow as a Star Warrior. But… truth be told, the knight didn't know what to respond. He didn't know the answer, he didn't know if he _could_ , and yet… he nodded his head.

"Yes. I'll be with you."

Kirby's wide grin brought stars to shine brighter than ever into his eyes, making his kind face glow. Ah, to see him this happy was a reward in itself! Meta Knight couldn't help but smile back, and he gave another nod before gesturing a hand toward the village.

"Now," he spoke, "how about you take a well deserved break? We could go to Kawasaki's-"

"Yes sir!" Kirby immediately said with a silly salute that pulled a laugh out of the stoic knight.

Together, the elder and the child left the sunstruck meadow in the direction of town, and Kirby felt much better. The knight had successfully soothed him. But, as Meta Knight walked, he inwardly sighed at his own resolution. For him, he had to hold on. Only for him, he had to give time, even if it would be his own…

* * *

Three weeks passed since that conversation and since Kirby started his new training. The young warrior did put everything else aside to focus entirely on his work; three long weeks of nothing but training. Of course, since he started, the rumour of what he was doing had gone through town like dust in a sandstorm and now everyone knew that their hero was preparing something great, and many were the spectators whenever Kirby was in the hills with Meta Knight.

Through the weeks, the elder knight didn't only have Kirby inhale and spit a knife over and over again; he broke these sessions of training with many sparring contests between them, and many times he had Kirby and Bun spar between each other with Sword and Blade's agreement, to put them both to the test. Although their fighting styles were different, they completed each other almost perfectly, and Meta Knight and his subordinates knew they would make a great team later on. These particular duels between the brothers were what brought in the most spectators, much to both Meta Knight's amusement and annoyance. These people truly didn't know the meaning of 'stay quiet so they can focus', but, truth be told, he couldn't blame them. Seeing these young sprouts duel and flourish was quite something to behold.

Between these sessions, Meta Knight also had Kirby meditate a lot more than usual. They would go to the far end of the meadow they usually trained at, close to the cliff by the sea, and they would both sit down and meditate in silence. Meta Knight hoped that doing so regularly would help Kirby commune with himself better. In three weeks, Kirby had yet to see the path of the knife, but the more he kept at it, the more it stood out in his pocket universe, and that was what Meta Knight was expecting from him.

Three weeks had passed, and today was the eve of the new year. Like every year, the town had organized a grand festival to celebrate this most important of festivities. For the last two weeks, anyone walking into town could have seen the villagers working on different attractions and contraptions, and the sound of hammers on nails and sawing wood could be heard everywhere at all times for days.

The result was an entirely different looking town overall; with decorations and paper lamps lining walls of houses and zig-zaging across the streets above everyone's heads and many contraptions to entertain kids and adults were strewn all across the town; that night, the village was filled with the laughs of children and distant music coming from different parties across town. If one walked this way, they could hear loud, partying music, and if one went another way, it changed to a more folk genre. Dreamland as a whole was an ethnically diverse place, where many people from many different countries met together in this big cooking pot that was Pupu Village.

Everywhere one went, they could hear individual fireworks exploding, followed by laughs and cheers, and some rockets even went up high in the sky, making everyone look up in awe. Pearls, beehives, willows, roman candles; every type of fireworks one could expect to see at New Year's eve was there, each more impressive than the last. Every year, New Year's eve was different from the year before, and that proved true once more this time as well.

Besides his own birthday, Kirby loved New Year's eve's festival the most; although he wasn't picky, considering the small load of carnivals and festivities Dreamland had to offer. This one was his favourite because of the sheer enjoyment of the night. New Year's had been the very first festival he had ever seen in his life in Dreamland, and he could only keep good memories of it. Lately, what he liked more about New Year's was also the fact that friends that had traveled to different towns and different countries came back, if only for the night, and that made for a great time for sharing stories about all the other wondrous places Popstar had to offer.

The sun had long set over the horizon when Kirby sat down in the main plaza, all by himself. He couldn't help but give a heavy sigh as he did, flinching a bit at his sore muscles; his training was starting to take its toll on him, and he was beginning to understand what Meta Knight had meant by 'tougher training'. The plaza was empty because most of the villagers had gone to the fields, where many sets of long tables had been placed along the farm fields, filled with buffets of all kinds, music and many other enjoyments. Kirby had to admit, the king had gone to great lengths to make this a good party. He even lent his Waddle Dees to serve drinks and food during the evening, and even now, Kirby could see them run around town, having their own little fun for once.

It felt like Kirby always had something to eat in his mouth since the beginning of the festival, and he was certainly hungry for more of that tasty-sounding buffet, but, truth be told, he was way too tired to even think to walk over to there. Maybe if he called his Warp Star, it would be willing to take him there… Nah. Meta Knight had told him many times not to use it for trivial matter like this. But he was _so_ tired! How was he supposed to get there? His feet wouldn't even answer him! He definitely needed to train more if that was the limit of his endurance…

He looked up into the sky when a runaway rocket firework suddenly flew toward the stars, making him stay in place, looking at the heavens, even as the sparkling lights of the firework died out and the air filled with distant laughs and cheers. The sky was so pretty tonight, he thought. So clear, in fact, he could see the light of Popstar's rings, long and wide arcs of a faded blue, mixed with a million sparkling stars. For a moment, Kirby was drawn into closing his eyes, sighing deeply and relaxing. What a great night, he thought with a smile. But… He opened his eyes. It would be way more fun if he was with the others. Kirby enjoyed being by himself from time to time, but on nights like these, when he could hear and feel the joy in the air as if a palpable thing, he preferred to be with his friends.

He stood from the bench, grunting and rubbing his back as he did, and made his way through the now relatively empty town. It seemed everyone had really gone there by now. They'd better savour that buffet until he arrived!

"Hey there, squirt!"

Kirby turned around in the middle of the street, blinking his tall, surprised eyes. Huh, it was Dedede. Why was he here of all places? Knowing him, he would have been at the buffet, preaching about how good a king he was and the like. The large and wide penguin king walked toward him, almost entangling his huge feet together as he did, as if a bit tipsy. That hazy look in his eyes told him that much at least, and Kirby smirked as the drunken king stopped in front of him. He looked almost ready to fall over, but Dedede held himself up by taking another step forward and he patted Kirby on the head, something he rarely ever did, and he almost dropped that glass of wine he was holding, sending a few drops on the ground.

"Heeeey," Dedede slurred, sending waves of smelly breath toward Kirby, who basically turned green in disgust. "Kirbeh! Kirb! Kirb-man!"

"What's up, Triple D?" Kirby tried not to laugh out loud, waving his hand in front of his nose. "You sure look like you're having a blast there!"

"I!" Dedede began, straightening up and pointing to himself before seemingly changing his mind about what he was about to say. "This festival is awesome. Amazing. Ain't it, squirt? I did a great job, didn't I?"

Kirby always found it fun to talk to a drunk person, as their attitude always differed from one to another, but one thing that never changed, was how funny they sounded. Dedede didn't seem to hold alcohol too well though… and it showed.

"Yeah, it's great!" he answered him with a smile. "You did good in the organization this year, I'm actually proud of you."

"Aaaah, s'good to hear! S'good to hear!" Dedede repeated, patting him once more in the back and almost sending the sore little ball of pink splattering on the ground. "Listen squirt. I gotta tell you somethin'. I gotta tell you somethin', and you gotta listen."

Straightening his back back in place with a grunt and a disfigured grin, Kirby nodded, trying to help Dedede stay on his feet as he staggered once more. The king basically held himself on little Kirby as he wrapped a big arm around his back and held him like he would a dear friend, and Kirby found himself actually surprised, but he didn't comment.

"Yeah, go ahead," he said. "I'm listening."

"Listen," Dedede repeated for the enth time, waving his cup of wine in his face. "You're a good guy, Kirb. And I'm a bad guy. T'least, if we were in a TV show, that's how it'd be, hehehe! No, I mean, you're a good guy, little squirt, and I like you. I'mma big, jerky fatso, and people dun really like me…"

"Aw, don't say that," Kirby told him, patting him on the arm with his hand. "I'm sure there's people who like you, they just… don't really appreciate all the taxes."

"Prob'bly!" Dedede exclaimed. "Look, I jus' wanted to say… I'm sorry, 'bout all that whole 'tryin' to kill you and get rid of you with demon-beasts' kinda business. Thing is, I like you, and Dreamland wouldn't be the same without you. So here!"

The king then shoved the cup of wine directly in Kirby's face, forcing him to take it in his hands, then he placed his hand on his head to try and straighten himself back up.

"Uh," Kirby hesitated, looking down at the cup and trying to look at the meaning of this. "Thanks?"

"I did some research on your species, y'know!" Dedede told him with a proud smile. "Apparently, you're old enough to drink, so here, mister adult hero! Uuuh, take this as, uh, a token of a thingamabob, you know. Friendship!"

Dedede lifted his fist in the air as if in a toast, and Kirby only answered with a shy grin and by lifting his cup as well. After that, Dedede left him, waving his arms in his usual goofy way while wishing him a good night, leaving a confused Kirby behind. The boy looked down at the plastic cup in his hands. Now that was surprising. A token of friendship, huh? The thing was, Kirby knew he was old enough to drink; he had tried already, and he now knew how badly he couldn't hold alcohol. The results of last time flashed briefly in his mind, and he shivered. Maybe someone else might want of this wine. At least, he accepted the gift, so it wasn't really important whether he drank it or not. He wasn't sure Dedede would even remember doing all of this tomorrow, so it hardly mattered.

And so, it was with a new cup of wine in hand that Kirby went back on the road to meet with his friends. It was just like he had imagined it when he arrived; a great crowd of cappies, all mixed together and gathered around ten long tables, on which he could still see food. In every corner he could see something new. Attractions for kids in a corner, a musical scene with a local band in another, and among that crowd he could already spot a few of his friends with which he could go talk to. But, the boy kept searching, kept looking, maybe for that familiar ponytail, or maybe a metal mask somewhere in here…

He had to wander a bit further into the fields before he could spot those he wanted to talk to; there they were, farther back into the hills where it was quieter. With a smile, Kirby made his way over there, letting his tired feet carry him on their own. He smirked at the scene before him. Sword and Blade were almost passed out on the ground, bottles of sake laying around them, while Bun was conversing with Lololo and Lalala, who were laying in the grass. Fumu and Sir Meta Knight sat farther back up on the hill, and it was Fumu who noticed her pink friend coming first, for she raised her hand and waved him to come over. With a wide grin, Kirby ran over to them, trying not to spill the drink he was holding, and everyone greeted him kindly and cheerfully when he arrived. Kirby happily sat with them and began to make small talk, speaking about the festival and how amazing it was this year, until Bun turned around to look at the three sitting behind up the hill. He pointed to his hand.

"Hey, I didn't know you went back to try a drink," he said, confusing Kirby only for a moment until the younger one looked down at his hand, internally realizing.

"Oh," he said with a laugh, "that's just something a, uh, friend gave me. He was pretty drunk, so I doubt he'll remember ever even giving me this."

"You don't drink alcohol, do you?" Meta Knight questioned, receiving a shake of the head as an answer.

"Not really, it makes me a bit sick."

"A bit?" Bun laughed. "A bit is an understatement! You were throwin' up all over the pl-"

"Bun!" Fumu interrupted, closing her eyes as if trying to stop herself from imagining that particular event. "Can you please not?"

Bun and Kirby both bursted out laughing along with Lololo and Lalala, making Fumu sigh and sit back. These guys would never change. To her surprise, she even heard a chuckle from her left, making her turn to Meta Knight, whose eyes shone a bright, sparkling pink for a few seconds.

"This reminds me of the first time I drank," the knight commented nonchalantly, making them all look at him. "Although, I wasn't throwing up all over the place, mind you. In fact, I liked it a bit too much."

That made all of them giggle and laugh at the thought, and Bun asked:

"You? Drunk? I don't believe it."

But Meta Knight nodded his head all the same, saying in a lighthearted and a bit sarcastic tone:

"It's true. It's almost as if I wasn't always a boring adult."

It was Fumu's turn to laugh now, while Bun turned back around with a roll of his eyes. Kirby stared at Meta Knight, internally relieved. Since they started his training, Kirby had clearly noticed Meta Knight was sick, and it hadn't gone away since then. It was a cold, or so Meta Knight told him, but these coughing fits weren't getting any better. And now, seeing him like this, cheerful and happy in his own, stoic Meta Knight way, relieved Kirby to no end. Maybe he really didn't need to worry about him. He looked very much fine tonight, and that was enough to cut the worry in half.

When Meta Knight looked back at him, Kirby smiled and handed him his cup, asking:

"Then would you like to have it?"

Meta Knight appeared a bit surprised, and his eyes quickly traveled down to the wine before looking back up.

"Are you sure?" the knight asked. "You might want to savour it tonight, it's your last chance before we go back to training."

But Kirby gave a dismissal wave of his hand and said:

"Nah, I'm good. I'm not going to drink it anyways. Just take it as thanks for putting up with me during training!"

The knight's eyes smiled at him and he gave a simple nod, gently taking the plastic cup in hand.

"Alright," he answered. "Thank you, Kirby."

Before he could say something else, Kirby was interrupted by a sudden wave of applause and cheers coming from down below the hill, and everyone turned to look. All the hanging lights down there had been turned off, basking the crowd in a sudden and surprising darkness that everyone knew the meaning of. Kirby sat up in the grass, a wide grin spreading across his faee. Ah, the finale! Right on time!

The fireworks festival started suddenly with a row of sparkling rockets shooting off into the sky, bringing with it the first round of cheers. It was followed by a wonderful show of colours and shapes all mixing and blending together; willows and trees of red, green and yellow, comets flying toward the sky, pearls and swirling stars spinning and dancing against the heavens.

And while everyone was transfixed onto the sky, Kirby looked down. Meta Knight was also looking up, taking a sip of his wine, but as if sensing that he was being looked at, he stared back down at him. Those eyes of his smiled once more at him, and he held the cup up a bit with a grateful nod.

Kirby smiled and nodded right back at him; this year was off to a good start, and it could only go just as well until the next year.


	3. Crimson Eyes

**Fallen Stars: A New Age**

 **Act 1 - Chapter Three: Crimson Eyes**

 _He was floating. Drifting away in space, in a pitch black nothing filled with everything, surrounded by countless stars and passing galaxies. Nebulas and clouds of colourful matter danced around him as he floated, blissfully at peace, in this inner space, through this Universe free of nightmares. This was the dream, filled with life and wonders, and wherever he turned, wherever he looked, he saw life bloom and spread, in its own, cosmic ways, and he found it beautiful._

 _But, as he wandered in this infinite paradise and walked on unseen pathways of dust, he made the mistake of closing his eyes._

 _The stars extinguished. One after the other, they vanished, like distant lights turning off. The nebulas and galaxies all faded away, as if they had been nothing but mist blown off by a gust of wind. The life disappeared and the dream agonized and called out to him, but he had closed his eyes, and he could not see._

 _Darkness. Nothing. Silence._

 _There was nothing left, and this ending dream filled him with so much dread that he couldn't help but scream; but no matter what words he spoke, no matter how much he wanted to see past this nothingness, no voice escaped his mouth, and he was nothing but a fading dream, a fading little nothing in an ocean of more little nothings._

 _An eye opened; one, single, bloodshot eye, floating in this darkness. Barely an inch opened, yet its black, half-asleep pupil looked directly at him. It pierced him right through his being and he was torn in half, then in four, then in ten, then in infinity, his fading voice screaming out in this empty, meaningless Universe… and all that remained… was nothing…_

* * *

Kirby sprung up with a shout, so sudden that Tokkori woke up with his own startled shriek. While Kirby sat there, wide-eyed, so sweaty his covers were clinging to his body, Tokkori flew up from the blanket and perched himself on the end of the bed, flapping his wings indignantly.

"What the heck was that, pinkie?!" he shouted with angry claps of his beak.

Kirby didn't answer for a long moment, during which Tokkori could only take notice of how pale he was. The yellow bird folded his wings, a scoff mixed in with a tired sigh escaping his beak as he made himself more comfortable on his perch. Kirby finally looked up at him, still out of breath. He hesitated before speaking.

"Uh… I-it's nothing. Just a scary dream, is all…"

"A nightmare?" Tokkori asked, surprised. "Weird, you never got those. Watched a horror movie after the party or what?"

But Kirby shook his head, pushing the covers off of him to slide down the bed. He was so shaky, his feet could barely hold him up… He held himself against the bed a moment, looking down at those feet, then raised his head to look outside the window. Dawn was barely breaking, yet he could already see that the sky was grey.

"No, not a nightmare," Kirby said. "Sir Meta Knight told me that Star Warriors don't have nightmares. It was just a dream…"

Tokkori raised his shoulders at his answer, said:

"Scary dreams _are_ nightmares, pinkie. But whatever, you're probably right, Mister Hero."

And turned around to fly back to his place on the bed.

"I'm gonna go back to sleep," he said with a yawn. "Still too early for me. You comin'?"

Kirby stayed glued in place, however, and stared still outside at the sky. He shook his head in response, leaving the little bird to snuggle back under the covers. Truth be told, Kirby didn't want to go back to sleep. He didn't want to run the risk of dreaming whatever this had been again. He didn't want to risk burning his sight with that red, ominous eye…

* * *

Slowly, Sword awoke in his bed. His eyes were very heavy and his body as a whole was already expressing regret over all the sake of the previous night. Maybe he shouldn't have drank so much… What time was it now… It was probably still early… Turning his head to the side, he took a peek at his bedside clock. A quarter past seven. Yup, still very much early. He was surprised he hadn't slept in, but even now, he felt like just going right back to sleep… Maybe Sir Meta Knight wouldn't mind if he did…

Just as he was about to roll over in his bed and go back to sleep, a sudden ruckus erupted from the main apartment, knocks banging so loudly on the front door they reverberated throughout the whole apartment. Surprised, the sleepy knight lifted himself up straight and listened as the familiar booming voice of the king echoed across the Knights' quarters.

"Oy, Meta Knight! You'd better be awake, 'cause I got a task for ya!"

He heard the soft clanking of Meta Knight's boots on the floor, and the apprentice promptly leaped out of bed, doing his best to keep his balance as he stumbled around for his clothes. Outside, the main door opened and the king's voice made itself clearer as the large king entered their quarters.

"Good morning, Your Majesty. What can I do for you today?"

"I got a real special task for you Meta Knight, and I need your full cooperation for this one. Ya get me?"

"Of course, Your Majesty. What is it you wish me to do?"

Sword quickly buttoned his shirt and put on his belt, but before leaving his room he stood by the door, carefully listening to what the king had to say. He was afraid that if he or Blade showed up he might not say it, so he simply listened. He could imagine the king standing tall over the smaller knight, the latter unfazed by the penguin's wide stance.

"Actually… It's a lot simpler than I make it seem, huh. I just' want you to report to me about Kirby. His progress, his mood, his attitude, whatever. Just, Kirby in general."

"Kirby's progress, Your Majesty?" Meta Knight repeated, sounding quite surprised by the strange request. "May I ask why you wish to know?"

"Well, uh, I, uh, I-I'm just worried for the lil guy, is all!" Dedede answered quickly, as if not knowing what to respond. "I talked with 'im yesterday at the party, and I found him pretty… weird. So there! That enough for ya?"

"Yes, Your Majesty, I suppose it'll do. Should I report once a week as per usual?"

"Yep, yep, once a week sounds great, yeah. Right! I'mma leave ya to it, and don't forget! I want to know everything."

"Of course, Your Highness. It will be done as you ask. Is there something else I can do for you, Your Majesty?"

"Actually, yeah, there is," Dedede continued, sounding as if he had just remembered something. "I got some complaints lately from the outskirts of town about some demon-beast causin' some trouble. I want you to send your guys over there and investigate, I dun want any trouble-makin' demon over here. Get it?"

"A loose demon-beast, you say?" Meta Knight inquired. "I see. It will be done as well, Your Majesty, have no worries."

"Good! Good. Well then, uh, I guess, see ya later, blue boy!"

And Sword heard the door close as the king's heavy footsteps left the apartment, returning it the calm silence of the early morning. The apprentice breathed out heavily. Such a strange thing to ask of his lord, to report on Kirby… And a loose demon-beast too? Knowing the king, those complaints could have come from a while ago and he had probably forgotten to do anything about it with the New Year coming, so finding tracks of this demon would most likely be harder than first thought. Just great.

Sword opened his door at this moment, right on synch with Blade, who turned to look at him and waved his hand without a word. They both turned toward their lord, however, when they heard him cough. _Badly._ These coughs were so harsh on his throat, so heavy and gurgling and hoarse, with each and every cough his body got dragged down, and Meta Knight ended on his knees, practically choking above the ground. The two apprentices immediately ran to him, calling his name and kneeling at his sides, and they were both shocked to see blood dripping from the visor of his mask and splattered on the floor under him. Meta Knight's pained eyes squinted when he looked up at each of them, the glow of his amber gaze flickering in and out like a light loosing power, and he gave a deep breath before falling over in their arms, completely depleted.

"Sir Meta Knight!"

* * *

A light rain, as light as a drizzle, was cast over Dreamland, shielding the sky with a veil of grey; no matter where one looked, it was the same monotonous shade of grey from one side of the heavens to the other. Mist as pale and transparent as a cloud rose from the sea and took over the town, almost forcing the citizens to lock themselves in. The temperature had dropped significantly since the night before, and even the mess from the New Year's party had yet to be cleaned, so the weather wasn't really inviting the townsfolk to get to it.

Kirby wandered into those misty, empty fields by himself, an umbrella lazily set on his shoulder as he walked, nonchalantly, lost in the cloud that surrounded him. His gaze was set on the ground before him, but he was far, far away from here, into the deepest recesses of his mind. In the Universe of his own pocket dimension, Kirby searched for the meaning behind his dream. He wouldn't dare call it a nightmare, for he knew it was impossible; Sir Meta Knight had told him many times that Star Warriors, from their birth and to their death, cannot naturally produce and experience nightmares. Dark visions would need to be _forced_ inside their mind, like, say, if Nightmare himself laid a finger on them, as he had done to all those he turned into demon-beasts during the Dream War.

But Nightmare was gone, so that option was crossed out immediately. Another possibility was if a Star Warrior was either traumatized or terrified by something, and that something would eat away at their mind, but Kirby knew that wasn't the case for him. Was there another demon-beast that could induce undesired dreams…? Was a Noddy hidden in his pillow again? Nah, he would have noticed such a thing… Then what…? Most importantly, why? Why would he have such a strange, haunting dream? And that eye…

Mentally, Kirby felt more open than ever. Since he began his training, it had taken a toll on his mental defences as he desperately delved inside himself in search of a hidden path, having to meditate and open his mind to the world every single day. Because of this, perhaps a far away demon-beast was sending nasty things into his mind, for revenge over the loss of its master, or maybe even just for fun. It was either a demon-beast, or… something else.

But that was the problem. He had no idea what this 'something else' could be. He sorted through the thousands of lessons about demon-beasts, through the thousands of pages about demons and demonic creatures of the Universe he had gone through during the last decade, through all of his current knowledge of the Universe; and Kirby could find nothing to explain this dream.

Why was he so hooked on it? It certainly wasn't the first weird and odd dream he had, and it was certainly not the last. But this one… it was just _haunting_. He hadn't felt genuinely afraid in a long time… It was this eye… The one eye he had seen… The more he thought about it, the more it felt like it was watching him, even now as he walked, and he felt a nasty shiver run up and down his spine, almost stopping him in his tracks. With heavy eyes, Kirby blinked toward the castle in the distance, feeling a few raindrops hit his face when the wind suddenly changed direction.

Something… didn't feel right… Something, inside him, was telling him, was yelling at him, something was wrong…

He gasped.

Sir Meta Knight!

Suddenly, as soon as the thought crossed his mind, a bright and pinching pain resonated through his chest, making him scowl in discomfort. Something was wrong with him. He had to go there, now! Closing the umbrella and grasping it tightly, the young warrior took off running without a second thought. He ran and stepped in mud puddles all the way across the hills, and when he made it to the castle, he didn't wait for the Waddle Dees to lower the bridge for him and leaped in the air, breathing in enough air to float higher to reach the ramparts. While the guards watched him quizzically, Kirby didn't wave them good morning and jumped down inside the courtyard. Without waiting further, he sprung forward and sprinted inside through the main gates and into the castle's endless halls.

Luckily for him, he knew most of this castle's shortcuts and hidden paths, and he promptly jumped through most of them to get to the Knights' tower in just a minute. To his surprise, when he arrived in the hallway that lead to their apartments, he met with Bun, who was coming from the other way. For a moment, Bun only stared at him, looking up and down from his drenched head to his muddy feet, and he waved over, calling:

"Hey Kirb, what's up? You know, an umbrella usually goes _over_ the head when it rains. That's usually how it works, but hey, I'm no expert."

"Yeah, yeah, you're real funny," Kirby mocked as he hopped toward him, shaking his feet one at a time to throw the mud off.

"What are you doing here?" the older one asked him once they were face to face. "You're lookin' really pale there… Don't tell me you're sick too."

"Uh?" Kirby looked up at him, looking worried. "Is Sir Meta Knight alright?"

"Oh, yeah, yeah, he's fine," Bun waved his hand. "Mom and Sis are helping out, don't worry. Wait… how did you know? Did you pass by Sword and Blade on the way here?"

Kirby merely stared at him a moment, trying to find an answer. He didn't know _how_ he knew… The thought had just come to him and established itself as a fact he needed to believe, and next thing he knew, he was running all the way here. Now he felt rather silly…

"I, uh… I just did. Uh, can I come in then?"

"Oh, sure, sure," Bun said before gesturing him to follow and going for the door.

Once it opened, the two young men were welcomed by the sweet fragrance of breakfast and the nice sounds of the gramophone sitting in the corner of the living room. Needless to say, this was a combination of things Kirby was used to open the door to in the morning, but this time it held something different, like every shadow was darker. He was just worried, that was it. He had to calm down.

When he walked in, he saw Lady Memu and Fumu, the older busy in the kitchen area and the other setting up the table for breakfast. She turned to them when they arrived and smiled brightly, calling:

"Good morning, Kirby! You're up rather early, it's good to see that."

But she stopped immediately and scowled soon after, straightening up to cross her arms.

"You're soaked to the bone! Didn't you use your umbrella outside?"

"Uh," Kirby hesitated, looking around the room, "yeah, I guess I forgot how to use it, sorry. It's fine, I'll just dry."

As soon as he turned around, he spotted the one he worried so much over; the elder knight was sitting on the only couch of the apartment in the living room, close enough to the gramophone to reach for it if need be. His eyes were closed and he was wrapped in a blanket instead of a cape, and he didn't seem to have noticed him. Before Kirby could say anything, a towel was thrown on his head from the kitchen as Memu called:

"Come now, Kirby, you know better than to run around in the rain, you'll catch a cold! Bun, go put these plates on the table, please. Breakfast will be ready soon."

Kirby pulled the towel off of his face and quickly began to dry himself, but Fumu stopped him when she walked closer and leaned forward. She whispered in his ear, blocking her voice with her hand.

"He passed out this morning… He's fine now, but he won't tell us what's wrong. Think you could go talk to him and make him spill the beans?"

The young boy's eyes widened. Passed out? Was it this bad…? He turned to look at her and saw his own worry reflect in her gaze. Her sharp yet softened green eyes were directed at the knight, and Kirby understood how she felt; the very same as him.

She had been very, very young, a baby even when Meta Knight and his subordinates swore their allegiance to the king and took the role of the castle's knights, and as far as she could remember, he had always been there, in the shadows, watching over everything and everyone. Every time she would stumble and fall, a hand was there to catch her, a silhouette was there to help her stand, and even now, as she and her brother grew into mature adults, he was still there, watching out for them from the shadows he called his realm. If only now that they were on the same level, he could open more to them and step into the light to tell them what was wrong…

She sincerely thought that Kirby, as Meta Knight's pupil, was on a higher level than them when it came to a relationship with the stoic knight. In the past years, Kirby had opened something in the knight's heart, and Fumu could just barely see it, but it was so bright, she could only hope that this light was sufficient to bring the knight out in the sun.

And now, by the way Kirby was looking over to him, she knew that Kirby would be able to open him up a bit more. He just had this power, simple as that. It was their turn now to lend him a hand when he stumbled and fell.

Kirby looked up at her and gave a solid nod, before quickly finishing to dry himself and walking toward the couch. Without a word, the young man climbed up to sit next to the knight, who slowly opened his eyes when he felt his presence near. They looked at each other for a moment before Kirby gave a mix of a scoff and a chuckle.

"'Don't worry Kirby, it's just a cold,'" he mimicked his heavy accent with a roll of his eyes. "First off, you're a liar. Colds don't last for months at a time, and you don't pass out from that."

To Kirby's surprise, the knight's eyes flashed a bright pink for a few seconds as he breathed out a few, exhausted chuckles.

"Well then," the elder said before pausing. "I wasn't really hoping on making you believe it was a cold for so long, so I would like to apologize for that. I'm usually not so bad at lying. I guess I underestimated how bad it would get."

Kirby's gaze softened, and he didn't say anything for a moment. Meanwhile, Memu walked over to them with a small plate with a tea cup and spoon in her hands, and she handed it to Meta Knight with a fond smile, saying warmly as he carefully took it:

"Here you go, Sir Meta Knight, my best tea recipe. It should help you relax a bit. It's not good for you to over exhaust yourself like that, especially at your age. …Whatever age you are, anyway."

Meta Knight gave another heartfelt laugh and he nodded gratefully to her.

"Thank you very much for your help, Lady Memu, it is sincerely appreciated. Although, I will have you know that I am not as old as I seem to be."

"Oh really?" Kirby chimed in with a side smirk. "How old are you then, exactly?"

Meta Knight hummed, looking down at his tea thoughtfully. He took the spoon and dipped it in the hot liquid, watching as the steam emanated from its rippled surface.

"Mmh, truth be told, I have lost count of my age long ago. But, if memory serves me right, I must be about over seventy-five thousand years old, which, by our species' standards, is still quite young."

"Seventy-five thousand, goodness!" Memu exclaimed as she dramatically turned around waving her arms in the air. "And here I am, complaining because I'm turning fifty this year! Hohoho!"

And she walked away, laughing, leaving the two alone once more in their corner of the living room. They remained quiet for a moment, before Kirby finally asked with a quiet voice:

"If it's not a cold, then what is it? Is it… lethal…?"

To his relief, Meta Knight shook his head, but the answer he gave wasn't satisfactory either.

"No, it is not, I can tell that much. However, I cannot tell you what it is I have, simply because I do not know. Lady Memu is right, I just need to rest more. I have been working a little too much lately, and you and I both know that one can only get so far without a proper rest."

The younger of the two looked down at his feet. So he didn't even know what it was he had… Then how could he know it wasn't lethal? Stuck in a lie again, Sir Meta Knight… Resisting the urge to grumble in annoyance, Kirby instead took another approach to try and see what ailed him.

"You said Sir Arthur made you work a lot, but I haven't really seen you do anything other than train me lately. What jobs is he making you do?"

Meta Knight hummed with a deep sigh and took a long, appreciative sip of his tea through the visor of his mask before taking a moment to taste it. He turned to look at him next, and Kirby could tell from his eyes how tired he was…

"I am afraid that is top-secret, Kirby," was the unfortunate answer. "You do not need to concern yourself with this right now, son. I am still perfectly able to attend to my duties, and I will do so as long as it is necessary. Do you have any other question?"

Kirby remained quiet. He did have one… But he wasn't sure of how to ask it. Something about the way Meta Knight referred to him as 'son' made him feel… warm and cuddly inside. He knew it was just a way of talking from an elder to his cadet, but still, he couldn't help but imagine… how things could have been… He blinked, trying to get back to the last question he had. It was now or never, while he was still thinking about it.

"Have you… ever had a nightmare that's… uh… not produced from a demon-beast or Nightmare's influence…?"

This question sounded oddly specific suddenly; Meta Knight didn't say anything for a long time, and Kirby grew worried that perhaps it was a once-in-a-lifetime case, but when the knight spoke, he didn't know what to make of it.

"Once. When I was just a boy, barely over twenty years of age. I didn't know what a nightmare was at the time, and only later did I realize that it was a message from the stars."

He turned to look at him.

"You seem troubled, Kirby. Would you like to tell me about your dream? Perhaps I could help you understand it."

Kirby shook his head dismissively and chuckled, brushing the back of his head.

"No, it's fine, it was just a really weird dream about a giant eyeball, you know, the usual dream stuff. It just got me thinking about nightmares and stuff, hehe."

The knight… didn't say anything… Instead, he sipped at his tea, ever so quiet and mysterious, and Kirby couldn't help but feel like he was just wrong to assume it was nothing.

* * *

Later that same day, when they all left the knight alone to rest, Kirby, Fumu and Bun all found themselves at Kawasaki's empty restaurant, where they agreed to have lunch. While they waited for the chef to bring their orders, they actively talked about what was going on with the knights and with Sir Meta Knight especially.

"So you couldn't make him talk?" Fumu asked toward Kirby, who sadly shook his head.

"No, he said he didn't know what kind of sickness he has, but I know he's lying. At least, he told me it wasn't lethal, so there's that…"

"Did he say anything else about how he felt?" she asked, to which he shook his head again.

"No, but I did try to know whether it came from all the work he's doing for Sir Arthur or not. Apparently, it's top-secret, so no luck there… But I'm sure that job isn't helping at all."

"Top-secret?" Fumu repeated, doubtful. "What kind of job could it be…?"

Bun hummed a bit, making the other two turn to him. The young knight had his arms crossed on his chest, and it definitely looked like he had something on his mind.

"I know a bit of what it's about. He's working for the Agency lately."

Kirby's eyebrows raised immediately, his interest peeked.

"The Agency?" he asked. "What's that?"

"Oh, just something I heard Sword and Blade talk about a while back. Joe and Silica both talked about it too."

"Yeah, I think I remember them mentioning it," Fumu said, looking off into her memories. "An Agency, huh…?"

"You thinkin' like me, Sis? That it's to replace the Galaxy Soldier Army?" Bun asked, and Fumu smirked and nodded her head.

"Definitely," she answered. "At least, it would explain what Joe and Silica were up to lately. I haven't heard of them in a while."

"No wonder," Bun answered. "Putting up a group as big as the GSA must be a lot of work, and if Sir Meta Knight is doing work for them, it could explain why he's so tired lately."

"Yeah, but the sickness?" Kirby brought up, making them look at his worried face. "You don't usually cough up blood when you're tired, you know."

"Who knows," Bun shrugged, "maybe it's actually something related to your species. Maybe that's how you guys work? You literally turn green sometimes when you're really exhausted, so I wouldn't be surprised that coughing up blood was a symptom."

Kirby pouted. He had a point. Both him and Meta Knight were of an almost extinct species, the Kiridans, and the knowledge about how their bodies worked in relation to sickness was very scarce, Meta Knight himself being the only source of knowledge there was closest to them.

"Bun," Fumu started slowly, bringing up the attention of her brother over to her. "You spend a lot of time with Sword and Blade, and thus with Sir Meta Knight. You wouldn't have overheard something, even just a small detail, regarding all of this sickness story, wouldn't you?"

For a moment, the young man remained strangely quiet as he sat still, arms crossed, thinking. For a short instant there, Fumu could have sworn he was about to say something important, but he ended up shaking his head.

"No, not that I can think of," he answered. "I mean, I know stuff that you guys probably don't, but it really has nothing to do with him being sick, so I can't help with that."

"Sorry for the wait!" Kawasaki suddenly called as he exited his kitchen with a large tray in his hands containing more than just three plates.

As two plates were set before Bun and Fumu, Kirby got the buffet he asked for and he almost immediately set all of these questions aside; it was time to eat!

However, as she wished bon appétit to her brothers and dove in her own food, Fumu couldn't help but wonder… What was it that Bun knew that they didn't? And how was all of this connected together? And further more, that Agency was a new factor she needed to research about, and she made a mental note to get to it as soon as possible.

* * *

That evening, when the dark, grey clouds of the day had evaporated and gone from the sky and the setting sun cast its warming rays at last on the land, a somewhat large feathery creature hopped out of its nest and trotted toward the entrance of its cave. Its eyes shone brightly in wonder as it looked down upon the land of dreams that stretched before their lonely mountain, and it turned its head to look behind.

In the nest, its gigantic mother briefly looked up from the bones of the last hunt and gave a small nod of approval before turning her massive feathered body around, busy tidying up the nest. Dyna Blade's young fledgling happily flapped its tiny wings and quickly hopped toward the road that spiralled around the mountain. It didn't know how to fly as well as its mother did and never took to the skies alone, but for now, running was its favourite thing to do; and so the large chick ran down the mountain, tweeting excitedly all the way through.

It had wanted to go to town the whole day, but the rain had kept it stuck inside for an untold amount of time, and now it needed to stretch its legs, otherwise it knew it wouldn't sleep at all this night. What it wanted to see more than just the town, however, was the friends it had made in the villagers; a lot of those who had gone away from the island had come back during the strange festival of the night before, and the chick wanted to see them at least once before they went off again. The chick _loved_ going down into the town! There were so many things to look at, all the time, without fail. It always made it wonder whether all the other towns of this star were like this. It couldn't wait until it knew how to fly so it could leave the nest! Maybe…! Maybe then it would be able to go on more adventures with its friend Kirby! That would be wonderful!

With this overjoyed thought in mind, the chick tweeted loudly as it ran across the countryside, each of its steps light as its legs carried it almost effortlessly through the glade and through the fields. When finally the town was in sight, it began to slow down, taking in the sight of the sun struck village. Now that the rain was gone, many people were outside, even though the sun was already setting down. The villagers were moving tables and trash around, as well as cleaning up the streets from all the branches and leaves the wind of the day had thrown down, and the chick could only stare at those strange things the cappies always did. Such strange creatures, these cappies. How it loved them!

As it wandered around the streets, the chick did find lots of people it wanted to see and it even helped them in cleaning, being able to carry a good load of things on its back. The chick was certainly glad to be able to help around, but it had yet to see any sign of its pal Kirby; even when it tweeted his name, the townsfolk only shook their head, saying he was probably home by now. But his home was _soooo_ far away! The sun would already be gone by the time it left for the fields… and its mother would certainly _not_ be happy with it coming back home so late.

However, the chick was still determined, and so, as it tweeted goodbye to its friends, the large, fluffy bird took off running through the town, in the direction of Kirby's house. It settled its pace in a light trot, leaving its ungrown wings slightly opened behind its raised shoulders. A nice breeze was going through the town as it ran and it slightly slowed down, raising its head to appreciate it. What a nice evening this was!

Unfortunately for the bird, however, the sun was quick to descend, quicker than it had expected, perhaps because it had taken too long before leaving, and now, the chick stopped running when it reached the main plaza of the town. It was still far off from Kirby's house… and it was getting dark… For a second, the chick lowered its head into the fluffy down of its neck, considering heading back home right now… _but it really wanted to see Kirby!_ So, the chick gathered itself and took off running once more.

The sky darkened so quickly it barely saw its transition from light to black, and this black was so deep, it couldn't even see the stars. Even Popstar's rings could barely be seen! Had the clouds come back? Would it rain again? A better reason to hurry over to Kirby's house for shelter then. Without noticing, the bird ran a bit faster, tweeting lightly with each step, and the empty town was so silent it could only hear its claws rattling against the paved road.

Eventually, it made it to an intersection and it had to stop, trying to remember which road it usually took to head to the field. Why couldn't it remember? It came down here so often! Did it usually take the right? The front? Or the left? Or maybe it had missed another street it usually took and wasn't at the right place… Why did this town have to expand so much? Each time it came here, it could swear it was bigger! Or maybe it wasn't thinking straight and the town was the same… What was it doing again? Oh right! Kirby's house. Yes, it wanted to go to Kirby's house. Which way was it again…? It was so dark, not even the lamp posts lining the streets could help much. So dark… It didn't like this dark…

Suddenly, the lamp post above the chick switched off with a loud buzzing sound, making it jump and look up. A few sparks flew out of the broken lamp, and it was left there, shivering in this utter darkness. It _really_ needed to get out of this street. It needed to get to Kirby, and Kirby would get it back home, and it would be back in its nest without a single problem.

Then, the chick looked down ahead.

Blackness.

Red eyes.

Before it, standing a few feet into the dark, a silhouette bearing two, glowing, hypnotizing, _horrifying_ crimson eyes, was staring at it, quiet and immobile.

The chick couldn't move. It was like its legs were gone and its body was nothing but rust clinging to the ground. Each and every feather on its body tingled and raised up in a quickly growing fear and its own gaze widened. It knew these eyes. It knew these eyes! Those were the eyes of a demon-beast! The animals in the woods had warned them about a demon-beast roaming around the forest! It was here! What to do? Run? Cry for help? Would its mother come if it called? Or better yet, would Kirby hear it? Would _anyone_ hear it?

It couldn't think.

The demon took a step ahead, and it couldn't move.

Its head, or what must have been its head, cocked slightly to the side, and the glow in these horrible eyes narrowed into a hungry slitted gaze that reminded it of a snake.

Suddenly, the snake pounced, and the chick could suddenly move; it turned and ran, opening its beak in a frightened cry that echoed down the streets into the night. However, it was too slow, and the rust clinging to its legs made it stumble on its own toes, long enough for the demon to crash violently into its back. The chick found itself on the ground, rolling around as it kicked its legs and beat its wings, desperately trying to get this thing off of it, but the demon had claws, and like a hungry wolf it lashed out to its heart's content. Hungrily, the claws dug into the bird's neck and teeth then sunk deep in its flesh, making it cry out so loudly its screech reverberated across the whole town like a banshee lost in the night.

Then, a reflex made the bird kick its leg higher up, and it managed to hit something; the demon let go of it and jumped back; it hissed at the bird, its silhouette crouched on the ground like a predator eyeing its prey. The chick was a mess on the ground, it tried to stand and back away, but it couldn't, its legs were of rust and cold and its neck was of lava and warmth. Those eyes were getting closer and those hisses were singing in its ears, singing songs of darkness, and eyes were everywhere, flashing in and out of existence, laughing at it, laughing at the world around it. Those laughs were deafening, they were so loud the bird couldn't hear anything else but its own heart echoing in true fear-

Then, a blinding light, and a familiar voice.

"Who's there?!"

Suddenly, the shadow was gone, like it was never there, and the laughs and the eyes vanished instantly. The chick was surrounded by many lights, flashlights, houses opening their front doors, frightened cappies surrounding it. It lay still on its back, and it could only stare into these lights as it listened to all of the voices, its mind completely turned off.

"It's Dyna Blade's chick!"

"Oh no, it's injured!"

"What happened?"

"Who could've done such a thing?!"

"Take the kids away, there's blood everywhere!"

"H-hey! Sword, Blade! W-what was that?!"

The chick heard clanking sounds, as if metal walking on stones, and it looked a bit to the side, only to see those knights; they were friends of Kirby, it knew that. It tweeted toward them, and one of them, dressed in green, kneeled next to it, saying in a gentle voice:

"Ssh, it's okay… Don't move, let me see…"

His hands held it carefully as he inspected the bird, and the chick was so terrified, so frozen, it didn't dare move a single muscle, laying on its back as its wings remained stuck open on either sides, its legs raised in the air helplessly. The green knight hissed in pain as he looked down at it, saying:

"Sword, he's loosing a lot of blood. We've gotta bring him to Yabui's!"

The other knight responded:

"There is a demon-beast on the loose. Get everyone back inside and lock your doors. You there, help Blade take Dyna Blade's chick to the doctor, and quick."

"What about you?" Blade looked up at his brother.

The voices were growing farther away…

"I'm going to try and catch that demon. If it's on a rampage, it should be easy to spot."

The lights were growing darker…

"Alright then, be careful. Bun, go with him, we'll be fine here. Alright you guys, let's lift him up. On three. One… Two… Three."

And the large bird was lifted off of its rust and into the warm embrace of a nest filled with its mother's down, and off it drifted, into a silence free of eyes and demons…


	4. Helplessness

**Fallen Stars: A New Age**

 **Act 1 - Chapter Four: Helplessness**

 _This inner space was filled with everything one could hope for; life, food, dreams, hopes, friends… Name it, and one could find it. Memories were stored here; bubbles floating among the stars, carriers of souvenirs, messengers of times past and times to come. He loved to look into these bubbles. The dreams they gave him were always warm and he would always wake with a smile. Which bubble would he step into this time? There were so many to choose from, so many dreams to jump into, so many paths to take!_

 _And yet…_

 _When he turned around in this large space, he noticed, in a lone corner of his inner sanctum, one bubble that didn't seem like the others. Stepping closer to it, overcome by curiosity, he looked at it. No matter which angle he took, however, he couldn't recognize the image reflected off of it. There was a child in there… Just like him… crying… in front of the remains… of a Kabu…? What was this? He couldn't remember this. Maybe if he stepped into it, he would remember…_

 _Alas, as he outstretched his hand and reached for the lost memory, the bubble popped, and from it, a terribly dark emptiness spread like a swarm of inky bugs crawling all over him. They covered the sanctum, they invaded the memories, ate away at them, laughed at the life they were taking away, laughed at the emptiness that soon replaced everything this Universe stood for. He desperately reached out for the fading dream, for the vanishing light, calling out and screaming out while the nothingness took over his mouth and words…_

 _The eye appeared._

 _It opened, slowly, one inch at a time, and remained but a half-closed eyelid._

 _The red of this globe of fleshy matter was so bright, so invading and so horrifying that his own eyes burned away and melted off, while his screams could be heard by no one but_ him _…_

* * *

The trip back into reality was a harsh one; it felt like he had fallen off of a building so high he couldn't see the ground, and had fallen right inside his body, causing him to jerk straight forward with a shout. His heart was nothing but a drum inside his burning chest, which was so hurting he had to grasp it to make sure it was still there. As a reflex, he brought his hand to his eyes and palpated his eyelids; there were still there… Good…

It took Kirby a long time to calm down, and even more time to realize he had stopped breathing. His body began to puff up and down, slowly, with each slow breath he took, and after a while, his heart rate went back to normal, allowing him to think. What a horrible dream this had been… What was he thinking? This had been no dream. This had been a nightmare! A real nightmare! Just like the night before! What a strange one… It had felt so… real…

Once more, he brought his hands to his eyes. They still tingled with the feeling of being melted by the red glow of this giant eye… This eye… What was the meaning behind this? The day before, when he had questioned his mentor about dreams, Sir Meta Knight had mentioned having a real nightmare once, as a child, when the stars sent him a message. Was it the same for him? Was he just not understanding this message? Maybe… he really should describe it more to Sir Meta Knight… Maybe he knew something he didn't. He scoffed lightly. _Of course_ he knew something he didn't, it was Meta Knight! The man could know the deepest secrets of the Universe for all he knew! And he still wouldn't say anything about it unless it was at the last minute.

With a sigh, Kirby looked outside. By the light, he could tell it was still early, perhaps barely past seven in the morning. But… where was Tokkori? It wasn't like him to be an early bird and to be out of bed so soon in the day. Oh well, Kirby thought. It wasn't like he really cared about Tokkori's business right now anyway; he had more urgent matters to take in hand. He really needed to talk to Sir Meta Knight about this. Maybe during their training session of today would be a good opportunity to bring it up. Yes, that was a good plan.

Slowly, Kirby slid out of bed and onto his shaky feet; it took him a moment longer to steady himself, and he found his body somewhat heavier. This was such a strange feeling, waking up after a nightmare… To think his dream had set out to be an interesting one too… That image still stuck to his mind; the one of himself crying before a broken Kabu. Where did it come from? Kabu had never been broken like this, and he didn't recognize the setting either. In the image, there was grass and trees all around, with the enchanting and melancholy lights of insects flying around him. There wasn't a single tree near Kabu in the canyon… How strange this was…

When he stepped outside, it didn't take Kirby long to realize something; today was quite windy. _Very_ windy. As soon as he stepped out, the door closed behind him under the force of a sudden gale that forced him to raise his arms. _Just great._ He wasn't particularly a fan of breezy days, mainly because the boy was so light he could easily be lifted off of the ground by the wind. He didn't want to say it, but it sometimes embarrassed him when it happened at unpredicted times, say, when he was trying to say something and he would just get flung up into the air without warning. Maybe that was why his mentor was wearing metal boots; to keep some weight down there so he wouldn't fly off. Maybe he could try out the boots sometime to see if it made a difference.

Trying to put all of his weight down to his feet, Kirby started walking down the road to the village, thinking about getting breakfast at a café this morning to get his mind off of his dream for now. He was quite hungry, after all, as usual.

However, when he was just halfway across the road, he heard a thundering roar echo across the skies, making him look up in an instant. As he expected after hearing such a familiar noise, Dyna Blade suddenly appeared over the horizon; she was gliding up above the land, barely beating her wings, and her head was lowered, as if she was searching for something. She screeched again before making a turn and heading toward town, and one single flap of her wings caused a sudden gale upon the field that forced Kirby on the ground to stop himself from flying off. He waited until the wind dropped before looking back up with a concerned look about his face. Something was clearly wrong. Dyna Blade was only like that whenever her chick ran off without her permission; actually, she almost looked like she had been hunting, like those prey birds that flew in circles in the skies while searching for food. As far as Kirby knew, her hunting territory wasn't here near the town, but more toward the deeper woods, so why was she hunting here of all places? Had her chick vanished again?

With worry spreading inside him for his friend, Kirby ran forward as fast as he could, toward the town. Dyna Blade's chick, which the townsfolk had kindly renamed Dyno, had always been, from the moment of the bird's birth and to now, one of Kirby's dearest animal friends, and every time something happened to it, the Star Warrior always did his best to come to his aid, whether the chick was up against a hungry demon-beast or simply lost, as was most often the case.

When he arrived into the streets of Pupu Village, Kirby could clearly see the town was in disarray; many windows were hastily barred with wooden planks and so were a lot of doors. But what surprised Kirby more was the destruction that had taken over the streets; even more windows were broken into pieces, strewn across the paved road, benches and trees were cut down into pieces and sometimes even uprooted… The villagers were hard at work repairing everything and cleaning it all, but when Kirby passed through, many of them heaved a sigh of relief, often waving over to him and saying things like:

"Aah, finally!"

"Our problems are over."

"Kirby's here! Whatever was here yesterday is as good as gone now!"

Whatever was here…? Had a demon-beast attacked last night and Kirby hadn't even been aware of it? How could that be? Demon-beasts were usually and most often after him more than anything else; even when they'd just wander into town, they'd track him down immediately and aim straight for him, so why would one just attack the town and not come over to his house? Not that he was complaining, it was even the opposite; with the way he had slept last night, he wouldn't have been able to properly fight back upon awakening anyway.

"Oy, Kirby! Over here!"

He looked down the street. It was Honey and Iroo, two of their friends who had come back for the New Year's festival. They waved over to him and Iroo called:

"Bun's looking for you, Kirb! He's over at Yabui's, go there quick!"

The doctor's? Was someone hurt?! With a paling face, Kirby waved them thanks and quickly ran past them without a word. What was going on?! What kind of demon-beast was it? Was it even a demon-beast? Or something worse? In his head, Kirby quickly went through all of his lessons on demon-beasts, through all of the types of demons, their moves, their attacks, their behaviour, and he thought of a few who could be able to uproot trees and smash houses and lamp posts, but most of them were _huge_. A large A-rank demon-beast would surely leave a clear imprint of its presence everywhere, but despite the broken windows and the trees, there was nothing else, not even footprints. A light but efficient destruction.

Before he reached the doctor's office, however, Kirby came upon what looked like a crime scene. Chief Borun had sealed off a whole portion of a four-way intersection with caution warning tape. There were a few villagers around the scene, murmuring among each other and staring, but no sign of the police officer. Curious yet dreadful, Kirby walked closer and took a peak at the crime scene past the yellow tape; and what he saw made him pale immediately.

There was blood everywhere on the ground, splattered in various directions, with a clear single spot where the most blood had been spilled. Whatever had been here had struggled a good ways across the road, by the way the blood was spread on the ground. What shocked Kirby the most, however, wasn't the amount of blood, but what he saw stuck in its dry surface; feathers, very large, yellow and orange ones, cast in blood. There were claw marks all over the ground as well, showing that whoever was here had struggled and fought back.

Again, he heard the villagers whisper.

"Good, he's here. Maybe Dyna Blade will calm down."

"Yeah, but still… Dyno's hurt pretty badly I heard…"

"What matters is that Kirby catches that demon-beast before anyone else is hurt. Just wait, he'll find it by the end of the day."

"If you say so…"

Kirby's eyes widened. Dyno was hurt. And by the amount of blood on the ground, it wasn't just the usual scratch. With his heart pumping adrenaline into his legs, Kirby took off running once more, forgetting everything about his dream or what he had wanted to do this morning. If one of his friends was hurt because he hadn't been awake at the right time to stop an attack, he wouldn't forgive himself until the culprit was dealt with; but first, he needed to assess the situation.

Another surprise waited for him at the doctor's office; not only was there a crowd surrounding the modest little house, but Dyna Blade herself was perched upon the house's rooftop, unmoving except for her head, which kept turning in every directions every time someone approached the surrounding area. And when Kirby arrived, she locked eyes with him; and Kirby saw all of her worry, all of her concern for her unique chick, and all of her helplessness. Kirby gulped down a ball of saliva blocking his throat, but no words could come out, or _would_ come out. Instead, Kirby looked back down and ran right through a path the crowd had made for him and through the door. He went straight for the back room where Doctor Yabui performed his operations, and what he found here horrified him greatly.

Surrounding a bed were Bun, Fumu, Yabui and Blade, who all turned to him when he arrived. But Kirby only looked at what lay on the bed. He barely recognized the usually chirpy bird; it was laying on its side, with its head laid on a pillow, and all of its abdomen and neck were tightly wrapped in thick bandages that heavily smelled of medicine. Although it had a pained look about its face, the chick didn't seem to have too much trouble breathing and was apparently in a deep sleep, perhaps under anaesthetics. Without a word, Kirby walked closer to the bed and stood by its side, taking a closer look at his friend in dismay. After a short moment, he turned to look at everyone else, each of them for a few seconds into their eyes.

"What did this to him?"

Blade answered, while crossing his arms over his chest and lowering his head.

"An unknown demon-beast. Sword and Bun were unable to catch it."

"When did it happen?" Kirby asked, his tone getting quicker. "Why didn't anyone come to wake me up?"

"It happened yesterday, at around eight o'clock. Sir Meta Knight told us not to come get you," Blade continued, calmly, while Kirby's cheeks immediately turned red as he took an indignant look.

"He did?!" he spoke loudly. "But why?! It's my job to take care of demon-beasts around here! How am I supposed to do just that when no one tells me when I'm needed?!"

"Kirby, calm down," Fumu tried to coax him down, taking a step toward him as she raised her hands. "I'm sure he had a good reason to let you sleep. Right Blade?"

The knight nodded his head and looked back up at Kirby; by the tired look about his face, the knight hadn't slept a wink either it seemed.

"Right. Sir Meta Knight said you needed rest for today's training. He said to meet him later at the usual time and place-"

"Hey, wait just one second!" Kirby cut him off suddenly. "He expects me to train today with all that going on?! While a demon-beast's on the loose? That's just stupid! I should be-"

But Blade lifted his hand in Kirby's face, palm first, making the younger warrior stop in an instant. The green knight put his fists on his hips and took on a dead serious gaze to stare him down into quietness.

"That's exactly right. You're going to train in an hour, while _we_ take care of this. Sir Meta Knight instructed us to track down the demon-beast, and we will do as he asked. There's no reason for you to push aside your training for a runaway demon. And that's final. Got it?"

Kirby didn't answer; even looking at Bun wasn't bringing comfort or relief, and instead, he only looked down at his feet, giving a weak nod as a response. He heard the knight sigh and saw his pose relax a bit, and he extended a hand toward the bird on the bed.

"Meanwhile, we do have something you can help with," he said. "In order to calm Dyna Blade down, we need to bring her chick back to their nest atop their mountain."

Kirby was surprised to hear that, and he looked up at his feathery friend in worry.

"Are you sure he's okay enough to bring him out there?" he asked, to which Yabui answered:

"That little guy should be just fine for now. I'll take care of seeing him from time to time to see how well he's healing."

"We're mostly doing this to calm his mother," Fumu added. "Is she still on the roof?"

"Yeah, and she's not looking really happy…," Kirby responded.

"Good," Doctor Yabui spoke up. "If she sees us bringing her chick back, she might just let me into their nest without too much problem. If I can get away without being pecked over and over, it'd be nice! Are we going now?"

Without further ado, they set to work; using teamwork, they managed to lift the bird onto a stretcher, but the large animal was much heavier than they thought and they needed the four of them to hold each side of the stretcher, while Yabui remained by its side to keep an eye on the bird. As soon as they walked out of the office, they observed Dyna Blade's reaction and they weren't surprised to see her screech out as soon as she spotted her chick. She opened her wings and flew down to the ground, where the gathered crowd immediately dispersed with surprised calls, to lower her head to their level, but when she saw that her chick wasn't responding to her calls, she grew anxious and agitated, fidgeting and tapping her claws everywhere even as the group kept on walking on the road.

She followed them all the way through town and through the road and the meadow, not once lashing out at any of them despite their first worries. She allowed them to step on the road to their lonely peak and spiral up all the way to the grotto, and when they arrived near the nest, she watched anxiously as they carefully lifted the smaller bird inside it. Kirby made sure that it was laying on the right side and that it was comfortable before jumping out of the nest. With the others, he watched from the grotto's entrance as Dyna Blade carefully stepped into the giant nest and moved feathers and down in favour of her chick's comfort. Then, she laid down on top of it, puffing her feathers to cover him in a blanket of warmth. All she did, in the end, was send them a stare that seemed to thank them, and they left soon after.

Blade, Bun and Yabui all went back to town, but Kirby and Fumu stayed behind on the road, watching them leave in silence. Kirby hadn't spoken a word since they left the office, and Fumu could see very clearly that he was upset at being left behind during this small crisis. She knew him too well. And so, when they were finally alone, she stepped in front of Kirby, making him stop and look up. She carefully kneeled down to his level, then offered him a kind and warm smile, one that resulted in Kirby lowering his head again.

"You're upset that you can't go demon hunting?"

His head shot up immediately, cheeks puffed up and bright red.

"Of course I'm upset!" he answered indignantly. "I've been doing nothing but training every single day, and it's been ages since a demon-beast's been here. I mean, it's not like I'm gonna slack off, I'd at least get to be in a fight, and I can help the village! And Bun didn't even try to convince him to let me go with them… It's like he doesn't even want me to help…"

With a pout, he crossed his arms and looked away, tapping his foot annoyingly on the ground. In response, Fumu only gave an amused smirk, but an understanding light still glowed in her eyes. She straightened her back.

"Oh, I see. You're jealous that Bun can go hunting and not you, is that right?"

Kirby's eyes widened in surprise and his cheeks grew red again, but this time in embarassment, and he refused to look her way even more, answering in a stutter:

"Me? J-jealous? Pff! I would never!"

Fumu gave a giggle, one that made him look back toward her as she raised her hand to her mouth. She smiled at him, as if she saw right through him like an open book, and her eyes glowed with kindness.

"You know," she said, "Bun always wanted to be like you. He envied your awesome powers, your strength and your courage to face every foe sent your way."

Kirby lost his pout, and listened, calmly, as she spoke about their brother.

"When he was young," she said, "much before you arrived here, he was a bit more… frail. He would get sick easily, and he was the laziest. Whenever he was asked to make some sort of effort, he would turn away and scoff. Although the scoffing hasn't gone, since you arrived, he's changed."

She looked at him, and her smile grew nostalgic.

"That's mostly why he always follows you in your adventures," she continued. "He always let you take on the demon-beasts back then, only because he lacked the strength to do it himself. But, now that he's following Sword and Blade's training, he _has_ the strength he was looking for. And now, he wants to take care of that demon-beast, so you won't have to do it yourself, because he cares for you. Do you understand what I'm talking about, Kirby?"

Kirby blinked, slowly. He hadn't truly realized until now that that was how Bun felt. He had felt, ever since Bun started training with the knights, that there must have been a good reason why Bun chose such a path out of all the possibilities he had been offered up until now, but to think it was because of _him_ … The young Star Warrior sighed. Now he felt _very_ silly. Not only was Bun trying to have his _own_ adventures and trying to hone his _own_ strength through demon hunting, he was also trying to prevent Kirby from straying from his important training. How could he not see that?

A hand on his shoulder made him look back up, and his big sister smiled down at him.

"But," Kirby said in a low voice, "aren't you worried for him? You saw what that demon did to Dyno… If I'm not there to protect him…"

Her smile didn't waver.

"Of course I'm worried," she answered. "That doesn't mean I don't believe in him. In either of you, as a matter of fact. I'm your sister, Kirby. We're all family. It's practically always been my job to worry for the both of you."

She then bowed forward and lifted the young man in her arms, taking him by surprise when his feet couldn't touch the ground anymore. She had certainly grown taller since the first time she had hugged him like this…

"I'm very, very grateful that Bun has a little brother like you," she spoke in his ear before planting a sweet kiss on his cheek.

Shocked, Kirby stood immobile in her arms for a short moment, until a smile found its way on his face. He hugged her back, tightly.

They both let go of each other soon after, and Kirby took a step back, his hands fidgeting almost nervously as he said:

"Sorry for being a bit, uh, weird. I didn't mean to doubt anyone, especially not Bun, I just…"

He gave a heavy sigh and rubbed his eyes tiredly.

"I haven't been sleeping well lately… I guess I'm just not thinking straight, hehe."

She looked at him quizzically, cocking her head to the side.

"You haven't been sleeping well?" she repeated. "What do you mean? You always get so tired after a day of training, I thought you'd be able to sleep like a log."

But instead of giving a proper response, he shook his head dismissively with a wave of his hand, giving her a shy smile that he wanted to be reassuring.

"Don't worry, I don't have trouble falling asleep. I just have weird dreams, it's nothing. Should we go back? I'll be late for my meeting with Sir Meta Knight."

And the boy didn't even allow her a chance to ask anything more, as he already walked past her, gesturing her to follow as he went back on the road. Confused and thoughtful by his words, Fumu stood up and followed him by his side, silently casting a glance his way. She had sensed that Kirby's mind was elsewhere entirely since the moment he had walked into the doctor's office; now, she could see it plain as day.

* * *

They arrived at the training meadow right on time; and sure enough, Sir Meta Knight was already there. The man could be seen sitting under the shade of a tree, staring off into space as per usual. Before they got any closer, however, Fumu leaned in and whispered:

"He's still a bit sick, so you'll have to be mindful of that today. He looked dead tired this morning."

No kidding, Kirby thought. If that demon-beast showed up last night, then his mentor must have ran around all night long as well. It couldn't be good for his health… With that in mind, he gave her a solid nod of the head and told her:

"Alright, I'll be careful. I'll see you later for lunch, then?"

She smiled and nodded as well.

"Of course. Good luck, Kirby."

She kneeled down to hug him again, a hug he gladly gave right back, and he waved her goodbye before heading toward the tree, while she turned around and left on her own. Even from a distance, he could feel a certain heaviness emanating from his mentor, just like the day before when they had talked on the couch. Today, Kirby told himself, he would work extra hard, just so his mentor could feel a bit better.

However, when he drew near, Kirby saw that he wasn't staring into space; he was looking down at his hand, or rather, at something in his hand. He had seen this object before; the leaf-shaped brooch. He still had no idea what this was for or what it represented, but the way his teacher was looking at it seemed… melancholic. Surely it was a memento of the past, although Kirby had no idea of what exactly. Was it from a friend? Or a family member? Or someone more… important? He could only guess at this point, and he doubted simply asking him would lead to satisfying answers. Taking a deep breath, Kirby finally reached the tree, and upon his arrival, Meta Knight looked up from the object; his eyes lit up in a reassuring way, one that made Kirby smile an honest smile and wave.

"Good morning, Sir Meta Knight!"

"Good morning, Kirby," the knight answered in a hoarse voice that almost made his pupil cringe before clearing his sore throat. "How are you today?"

"I'm… I'm good," Kirby hesitated. "What about you? Do you feel a bit better than yesterday?"

"Yes," he answered in a light tone that sounded honest. "I do feel better, at least I can go around as I please, and we can go back to your training. I apologize for making you wait."

As his teacher stood from his sitting place and put the brooch back into a hidden back pocket, Kirby waved a hand nonchalantly with a chuckle.

"There's no problem, I don't mind waiting! Besides, you told me yourself that we have all the time in the world, so I try to keep that in mind."

Meta Knight hummed a bit in an odd way, but quickly cast it aside as he asked:

"Alright then, are you ready to start for today?"

But, once again, Kirby hesitated. If he wanted answers about his dreams, it was now or never. He slightly raised a hand, opening his mouth as if to say something, but nothing came out. How would he ask that? How could he know that Sir Meta Knight would even have answers to begin with? At any rate, it would still be best to ask than to keep it to himself… would it?

"Is something the matter, son?"

Kirby blinked. Here was that strange sensation again, strange yet comforting, all because of a single word. Son. It made him smile lightly, and he answered:

"No, I… There's nothing wrong. I'm okay to start whenever you want to!"

Meta Knight stared at him for a moment, his thoughts completely unreadable, a book in a foreign tongue, with eyes that read every angle of his face, every inch and crevasse of his mind, and Kirby knew that his mentor knew. Something _was_ wrong, but a wall of silence still separated them, still kept them inches apart, a distance far enough so that they couldn't speak freely. And so, Meta Knight gave a nod.

"I see. Well, then, let's start right now. Come this way."

And Kirby followed him, immediately regretting his decision not to say anything.

* * *

When he was given a break, later that day, the young Star Warrior went back to town to join with Fumu to have lunch with her at Kawasaki's, and as he thought she would, she questioned him about his training.

"How did it go this morning?"

He answered the usual, that he still hadn't succeeded in seeing _anything_ , but that he made some notable progress on his physical abilities, such as having a better posture that allowed him to have a generally better stance and sense of balance, attributes that worked wonders in every domain, both mentally and physically. Because of this, Kirby said, Meta Knight thought that Kirby was ever closer to being able to see the path he was looking for. As he was retelling all of this, Fumu was eating in silence and listening carefully, not once interrupting him, but when he was done and he faded in a particularly heavy silence, she noticed he was only staring at his food without touching it.

"You said this morning that you weren't sleeping well," she said. "Can you tell me about those dreams of yours?"

However, Kirby wasn't able to answer; as he was opening his mouth to speak, a booming voice echoed from outside the restaurant, taking everyone inside it by surprise, and they all turned to the door as the familiar voice called out:

"Commoners! I have an announcement! Your amazing king has made a great decision for you, dear citizens!"

Fumu sighed. What was Dedede up to again? Whenever he started a speech with these words, it never meant anything good for them; in fact, it was usually the opposite. The restaurant quickly emptied when the king began to speak, with the cappies all talking among each other, wondering what the king could possibly have done in their favour this time around. Kirby and Fumu both stood as well, deciding to see that announcement for themselves, and they found King Dedede outside in the main plaza, with a megaphone up to his beak. A crowd was building up around him as he stood atop his luxurious car of gold, with old Escargon sitting in the front seat. Usually, Kirby could weight the stupidity of Dedede's announcements by his side-kick's expressions alone, but the elderly snail looked… relieved. Would it be a good decision for once?

"I heard your pleas, dear commoners!" Dedede continued in a dramatic fashion. "The demon-beast who attacked our town is a pest that must be dealt with at once!"

"Hey, how do we know _you_ didn't send it?" someone lost in the crowd called out, bringing their fellow citizens in with the accusations.

"Who said that?!" Dedede angrily called, looking around the plaza with burning eyes.

"This time," Escargon said from his seat, "His Majesty didn't do anything. Besides, he can't buy any demon-beasts anymore, remember? Yesterday, that demon also attacked the castle, though the damage is much less significant than it is here."

Those words of an old snail who grew to be respected in the town reduced the shouts to whispers as a rumour spread on the plaza, and the king straightened himself, calling:

"That's right! And since Kirby's too lazy to do anything to help this poor little town," Kirby frowned upon those words, "I contacted _real_ demon-beast hunters who'll take care of the job in no time!"

Demon-beast hunters? The rumour across the plaza grew in loudness, while Kirby frowned still. He knew he should have went with Sword, Blade and Bun this morning… Speaking of the devil, he heard Bun's voice shout from the back of the crowd, making him turn.

"What the hell, Dedede! We're already on that job of looking for the demon! You tryna replace us or what?"

But as Blade attempted to shut him up before he spat out more insults, the king stomped his foot on the car, calling out:

"You guys've been on it since yesterday! And I ain't seen you catch any trace of that demon! So you guys'll be workin' with an expert from now on, so I expect results, got that, kiddo?"

Before Bun could shout some more, the mayor stepped a bit closer, taking his hat off respectfully as he asked:

"Excuse me Your Majesty, but what kind of expert are we talking about? Are they warriors, or mercenaries, or is it someone like that Knuckle Joe fellow?"

Dedede shook his head, answering:

"I'm talkin' about _real_ experts! Escargon, show him the pamphlet."

Escargon took his sweet time getting out of the car, and when he finally stepped on the ground, he handed the mayor a pamphlet, one that neither Kirby nor Fumu could see from this distance. Of course, everyone around the old cappy got very close, and a cocoon of cappies formed around the mayor, whose voice could still be heard as he read the pamphlet.

"'The Demon Hunter Agency'…Mmh. Sounds nice. 'The Demon Hunter Agency is the unique answer to your demon-beast problem. No matter the class or the size, the D.H.A. is here for your needs.'"

As the mayor kept on reading the promotional paper praising the level of skill and aptitude of the Agency, both Fumu and Kirby turned when they heard the familiar steps of metal on the paved road. Meta Knight walked a bit closer, wrapped in his cape, and he chuckled a bit when he listened to the mayor reading.

"They actually made it sound good," he commented in a low voice, making Fumu slightly widen her eyes.

"You knew about this Agency?" she asked, to which he nodded.

"Of course I did," he answered.

Kirby noticed a few cappies nearby turning to listen to the knight upon hearing those words, and Meta Knight continued, as if not minding that they could hear him.

"The Demon Hunter Agency is an organization comprised of veteran warriors and Star Warriors from the Galaxy Soldier Army," he explained to the two of them, and unknowingly, to the people surrounding him. "I myself, along with Sword, Blade and Bun, am part of it, although I don't actively participate in the Agency's affairs. They work to continue what the GSA failed to do, and until now, they've been doing an admirable job, despite our low numbers. Even though Bun doesn't seem to agree, I think it's a good move on His Majesty's part to call on them."

"Veteran Star Warriors?" Kirby repeated, widening his eyes. "So, all of your friends are working there?"

"Those who were found, yes," he answered with a nod. "Many young people are also joining the ranks, and so did your friends Silica and Joe. My good friend Arthur is our leader once more, as he proved in the past to be a most capable leader, and I see now that he's done a good job promoting the Agency. To think they would make actual pamphlets…"

He gave a chuckle at the thought, and Kirby smirked. So that explained what they had all talked about yesterday, and it did prove that Bun knew more than he was allowed to share. He had only been very vague when questioned the day before, and he understood why at least.

"Do you think they'll send Joe here?" he asked toward Fumu, who looked down at him and shrugged.

"Mmmh," the mayor hummed at the front of the crowd, having finally finished reading. "This Agency sounds interesting, Your Majesty. Do you know which warrior they will send here to help?"

Kirby and all the others who had turned to Sir Meta Knight turned around to face the king once more, as the great penguin placed his hands on his hips proudly.

"Yep! I actually talked to the guy. It's a strong-lookin' fellow by the name Galacta Knight, and he'll be here tomorrow mornin', so make sure he feels welcome!"

" _What_?! Galact-!"

Kirby turned around immediately to face his mentor, as did a few others, only to see a brief flash of surprised white sweep through his eyes. His gaze grew piercing, angry even, to a point Kirby had never seen before, and without a word, the knight whipped around and left, his step fast yet heavy. Shocked by his reaction that differed entirely from his previous mood, Kirby gave a quick look up in Fumu's direction, only to see her gesture toward the knight for him to follow, and he nodded, before running after him.

Kirby was surprised at how quick he was despite being sick, and he would have saluted his stamina if not for the terrible feeling he was getting from his teacher. Instead, he did his best to keep up with him, and they eventually found themselves alone in a street, in which Kirby doubled his speed and finally caught up to him.

"Sir Meta Knight, wait!" he called when he finally reached his side. "Who is this Galacta Knight? Is he an enemy?"

Meta Knight stopped walking all of a sudden, causing Kirby to almost trip on his own feet. The knight stared ahead at nothing during a long moment of heavy silence. During this whole time, his gaze steadily grew from terribly angry to completely unreadable, and he held his cape tighter around him before walking again, with Kirby right by his side.

"Break is over," was all he answered.

Kirby was at a loss for what to do or say. Meta Knight very rarely got angry, if ever, and to feel such _rage_ radiating from his body made his own heart beat loudly, as if he was afraid he would lash out on him. But Meta Knight did no such thing, and he remained quiet during the whole trip back to the meadow.

Once there, Meta Knight walked up to the equipment Kirby used during his training and picked up a glaive, which he threw back to Kirby. The young warrior instinctively inhaled it and took the Sword ability in hand as its warm hat sat on his head, suddenly giving him a burst of energy. He watched in surprise as Meta Knight drew out his own blade and turned to face him, a good distance from him across the meadow, and took a fighting stance. So they were going to spar this afternoon. Exactly what they both needed, indeed.

Kirby took his own fighting stance, lifted his blade next to his face as he readied himself… and the two Star Warriors ran at each other, blades glinting in the afternoon light.

* * *

It was only much, much later, when the sun was going down over the horizon, casting its warm evening rays on the land, when Kirby planted his sword in the ground and fell on his back, heaving out a deep, tired sigh, that his mentor went back to being himself.

"Galacta Knight is not an enemy."

Kirby looked up; his teacher was standing a few feet away, looking down at Galaxia's kind glow. The light emanating from the blade fluctuated regularly, as if it was speaking words in the wind, words only the knight, its owner, could hear. Meta Knight slowly looked up at Kirby, completely calm and collected once more.

"Tomorrow, we shall do our best to work efficiently with him, and should he ask any questions about anything, you must answer honestly. I don't know how long he'll stay here, but I suppose we must put up with it. Understood?"

Still panting, Kirby nodded his head, finding no current voice to answer, and he let his head fall back on the grass, closing his eyes for a moment. He had barely eaten his lunch this noon and he was so hungry he was seeing stars… but he was still thinking about this mysterious warrior.

"Who is he?" he asked.

There was silence a moment, and he thought Meta Knight wouldn't answer… but it came, in a soft, nostalgic sigh.

"We were brothers once. Family. Cousins, to be exact."

Kirby opened his eyes. Family? How strange to hear him speak of his family…

"Once?" he repeated. "Not anymore?"

"No. Long ago, Galacta betrayed my trust, and I lost all my pride because of him. He deserted the army, and I never heard of him again until now. I thought he had died."

Kirby grew downcast. They were family, and yet the knight clearly resented him… This wasn't how brothers should be…

"Maybe he's different now," he said in a soft voice, to which the knight responded:

"That, I will have to judge myself. Do not worry yourself with all this, Kirby. Let him do his job, and let us deal with our family affair. Tomorrow, when he arrives here, do not judge him over my own impression of him. If he really is the same as before, I think you two will actually get along."

"Really?" Kirby asked, a small smile finding its way to his lips. "What kind of guy is he?"

Meta Knight hummed lightly, thinking of the right choice of words to use to describe his cousin, looking in the distance as he did.

"He is a lovable idiot," was his answer. "Dumb and reckless, but loyal and kind. Prideful as well. He basically ruined my life, but… I suppose he did have his good side."

Kirby wanted to laugh at first at the way he described him, but he couldn't help but frown a bit upon hearing those words.

"Ruined your life…?" he repeated. "Was it really that bad? What did he do?"

But, Meta Knight only shook his head, before taking his sword out of the ground and sheathing it in its scabbard.

"If you don't mind, I do not wish to talk about it. Perhaps another time, when you are older. Then, I will tell you everything."

His mentor looked his way.

"For now, though, I want you to be nice to him, because he certainly will be to you. Understood?"

Kirby nodded his head before looking back at the sky, without a word. When he was older, huh? What could it be? Did he really have to wait even more time before he got told that most important of stories? Surely, Meta Knight had a lot of things to tell him, a lot of things he was hiding from the world… and Kirby wanted to know. The young Star Warrior heard his steps get closer, and he turned, only to see him extend a hand to him, his eyes kind.

"How about we go eat dinner at Kawasaki's tonight?" the knight proposed, and Kirby's eyes lit up in an instant.

He immediately took his hand and jumped up to his feet, shouting his joy to the skies, and they both left the meadow, leaving anger and confusion behind, as the sun cast its rays on their backs…

Tomorrow, they would see with their own eyes just who Galacta Knight now was, and whether he could be trusted or not.


	5. Galacta Knight Arrives

**Fallen Stars: A New Age**

 **Act 1 - Chapter Five: Galacta Knight Arrives**

 _He ran through an endless field, one of tall grass and flowers; at his sides, his friends, from all across time. Familiar names and faces – Fumu, Bun – familiar scents and laughs – Knuckle Joe, Silica – and familiar goals and memories – joy, laughter, and light. They were all running, and more and more friends and memories ran at his sides; he was so happy, so glad to see them all! So many friends, so many good and light memories to roll himself into! Like a warm blanket, he felt safe in their presence, in their warm aura._

 _And yet…_

 _The flowers were wilting. Melting. Burning. Turning to ashes, fading away upon their steps. He looked at his sides; and his friends were gone. One at a time, they vanished, turned to dust and doomed to fade away, like the dying flowers. Soon, he was alone, but their laughter remained, like a distant and distorted memory of something that used to be._

 _Still he ran, but now all joy and light had left; there was something behind him, something big, something small and sneaky, something that ate everything that was, and if he stopped, it would eat_ him _like it ate all the flowers. They laughed again. They were having so much fun! He was so afraid! They were going to eat him!_

 _Hahaha! It was so much fun! Look at him, running away! Run, run, little boy! Laugh with us! Hahahahahahaha!_

 _Each blade of grass turned into a needle planting in his feet, and each breath he took filled his lungs with tiny little knives, circulating through his whole being until they filled the inner Universe inside him, corrupting each and every little cell and memory…_

 _Until nothing remained…_

 _But the laughs…_

* * *

The next morning, the whole town showed their excitement over the arrival of the new warrior very early on; whether it was by cleaning every corner of the village or by decorating it with flowers and all sorts of trivial things, the town needed to be tidy. Despite it, the scene of Dyno's attack was left untouched, and was still impossible to approach by anyone but the castle's knights and the chief of police, as it was one of the only pieces of evidence they had to identify the demon-beast.

It was around 9 AM that a shadow appeared over the town, a shadow that made everyone look up and gather in the plaza in a moment's notice. It was a ship; small in size, sleek and pointy like a plunging bird, it made little sound as it descended from the clear skies of Popstar under the amazed gazes of the citizens, mostly the children, who were cheering and clapping in uncontrollable excitement. The metal bird made a turn over the town, leaning itself a bit on the side as it turned back around, and it slowed down to a stop above the plaza, where everyone stepped back to allow it some space. When it was clear to go, the ship descended, and its wings closed on its sides when it settled on the ground. As soon as it did, King Dedede arrived on the scene, pushing his way through the crowd, and he laughed in a satisfied manner, slapping his hands together in front of him, calling:

"Aah, finally!"

Off to the side, Kirby, Fumu and a few others watched almost anxiously as the ship's engine turned off and its external lid lifted itself, expelling gusts of oxygen into the air as it opened. The man who stood up from the one-seat ship came as a surprise to all; it was another of Kirby's species, a Kiridan as they were called. He was tall; taller than any other Kiridan they had seen so far! He was clad in pure white armour that glinted under the sun, and under it, his skin was a flashy magenta colour. Concealing his face was a mask, similar in shape to Sir Meta Knight's, except the visor was shaped like a slitted cross, and atop his head was a pair of golden, metal horns attached to the metallic helm.

However, what shocked the whole town upon seeing this tall warrior were the beautiful and impressively large wings producing from his back. They stretched a bit as he stood, as if sore from the long journey, and they shone like angel wings in the sunlight. The man as a whole was truly a sight to behold! Even Fumu found herself enthralled by the magnificence of the warrior that stood before them, but when he stepped down from his ship and the king walked up to him, she shook her head out of her trance, feeling her face considerably hotter than it was.

"Aaah!" the knight exclaimed with an accented voice that probably melted many girls in the crowd. "This star looked beautiful on the outside, but it's even prettier down here."

"Sir Galacta Knight!" Dedede greeted with his booming voice. "Glad to see you didn't keep us waitin'."

"I am never late, Your Majesty!" Sir Galacta Knight replied as he respectfully bowed down on one knee in a proper salute, one no one in the land ever offered him, and one that surprised many in the crowd. "Especially not for a dear client."

"I already like this guy!" Dedede laughed out loud, slapping Escargon on the shell.

As the old snail introduced himself to the knight, Mayor Len approached and did as well, taking off his hat almost timidly as they shook hands. The mayor seemed surprised at how vigorous that handshake was, and while the warrior was being surrounded by a lot of other people and was seemingly stuck in an endless loop of introductions, Kirby and his friends remained out of that crowd, preferring to keep to a certain distance while said crowd was going wild over that mysterious warrior. On the other side of the street, Kirby could see Sword, Blade and Bun, seemingly waiting for an opening or for something else to happen, but no matter where he looked, the young Star Warrior couldn't see his teacher. Meta Knight was probably there, though; even though it didn't appear like he was present, he was always just hiding in the perfect spot to watch over any scene. It was just a matter of time before he showed up.

"What do you think?" Fumu then asked him, making him look up at her.

She was still staring at the knight through the crowd, watching as he was shaking hands with everybody that came up to him, and she had close to no expression. Kirby was awful sometimes at describing how Fumu was feeling; she always had that look about her eyes that made her look like she was either displeased or uninterested, and that made it hard for him to know whether it was true or not. Best not to assume anything for now. He looked back toward the crowd and shrugged his shoulders.

"He looks like a nice guy. The town loves him already, hehe!" he chuckled.

As the knight followed the king and the mayor out of the crowd of curious and excited cappys, the king showed off his castle in the distance, saying:

"Come this way, I'll show you the most interesting thing this place has to offer; my castle!"

However, as the knight looked around, he suddenly stopped walking when he and Kirby met gazes. For a moment, Kirby couldn't breathe. It felt like… It was so odd… It was like he had already seen that gaze before… but how? It was definitely the first time he was meeting that Kiridan. Behind him, Dedede turned to see as well, as did everyone around in fact, and the king waved his hand nonchalantly, saying:

"Oh, and I guess that there'd be Kirby, the local hero. You'll have plenty of time later to see 'im, even though the lad's been pretty non-existent lately. Come on!"

And the king started walking down the street again, and the knight broke the eye contact to follow behind, with a quiet:

"Yes, of course."

And off they all went, and the street soon reverted to the usual silence of morning. Kirby stood there still, mouth slightly agape, and only when Fumu touched his shoulder did he shake his head.

"What was that all about?" she asked, to which he shrugged once more.

"I don't know," he answered, looking down the street at the dispersing crowd. "I guess we'll see him later then."

He gave a small sigh. Here he had thought he would meet him as soon as he arrived, but considering he was here to do a job, he guessed he wouldn't have much time to be chit-chatting. Hopefully the king would give him the correct leads; if not, surely Sword and Blade would if they were to work with that Galacta Knight. He looked up at Fumu. There was that stare again. It seemed this knight had a weird effect on the both of them, huh? Interesting. Now, Kirby was most curious to see where this would all lead to.

* * *

Soon after the warrior's arrival, Kirby left the excitement-filled town to go into the fields; he was already late on today's schedule, as he had been supposed to meditate early this morning. Meta Knight didn't reprimand him for being late, and the knight even made no comment on Galacta Knight's arrival this morning. He acted like nothing was going on, and made Kirby run along the beach all morning instead of meditating. Doing this physical training instead of sitting down felt like a much better idea for Kirby; as he ran at a moderate speed on the sand under the beating sun, his mind went completely silent, and he was actually able to think better, without forcing himself to.

He didn't know what to think of all that was going on. A demon-beast on the run, attacking the town at night; him not being able to help in any way, actually forced out of it like he shouldn't be caring about this demon; the king calling a knight from the Demon Hunter Agency, a knight who was actually from Meta Knight's family; and that gaze the knight sent him…

So many things to think about, and yet, no matter how hard he thought about it and circled ideas and theories in his head, it lead to nothing, and it served nothing, because he wasn't supposed to worry about this. He was supposed, he was asked, to care only about his training and devote himself to it… and yet… frustration only grew in his heart. He could only push it back as he ran, feeling a strange heat rise up to his face as he did. There were too many expectations…

When he ran back to where Meta Knight was waiting for him, completely out of breath and unable to talk, his teacher told him to walk around so he would recover better, and as he did, arms limp and face beat red, the knight spoke.

"Feel free to head back to the training grounds when you're feeling better. I'll go get some food from town, and we'll talk about what you'll do this afternoon when I get back."

Unable to talk, Kirby could only nod his head, and he continued to walk around as Meta Knight left him. It took him a moment to retrieve his bearings, and he eventually decided on heading back. Completely depleted, Kirby thought of nothing now, except taking a nap. Maybe he would have time for a short nap before Meta Knight came back… Best to hurry back to the meadow then.

He was about halfway there when a shadow flew over him, making him raise his head in curiosity. Across the sky, a familiar form flew overhead along the breeze, and Kirby saw him make a turn, wings fully opened and slightly bended on one side, almost like white blades slicing the sky. The knight flew toward him, and Kirby completely stopped walking, watching intently with his mouth slightly agape. Those wings were so amazing! Tall and wide, they looked so strong, so cool! As he landed in front of him, Kirby could only stare at this knight in amazement, unable to say anything.

"So you must be Kirby," the knight said, tucking his wings against his back.

Kirby stared still, but nodded his head as a unique answer. The man was so tall above him, he had to raise his head much higher than he was used to with his mentor. From the first moment he spoke, Kirby immediately noticed his accent; the same heavy accent as Meta Knight. Quite noticeable. At this moment, the knight took hold of his helmet at the base of his mask, and lifted it, a gesture that Kirby was definitely not expecting. Under the helm, a smile shone on a very handsome, mature and well sculpted face, and the knight's eyes shone like rubies at the younger warrior.

"I heard a lot about you, Kirby," he said before putting his fist against his heart. "My name is Galacta Knight, of the Agency. …Do you mind if I just…"

Without finishing his sentence, the man kneeled down at his level so they were face to face, and they stared at each other in a somewhat awkward silence while the knight appeared to look him over intently.

"Yeah," the knight smirked, as if nodding to himself, "it's just as I thought."

"Uhm," Kirby hesitated, not quite sure how to respond. "Is there… something wrong with my face?"

"Hahaha! Not at all, lad," Galacta Knight laughed as he stood back on his feet. "Your face just looks very much like someone I know. When I saw you earlier, I actually mistook you for him. Funny, uh?"

The knight then turned around and gestured him to follow him, which Kirby did with an amused smile. To think he looked like someone the knight knew somehow made him happy, like it meant he already was someone other than just 'Kirby of the Stars' to this man, which was mostly the case with the other surviving Star Warriors.

"So," Galacta Knight spoke up as they walked together. "I heard you were going through a rather intense training as of late? How's it going until now?"

With a smile still stuck to his face, Kirby felt lighter than he was earlier, and it came out clearly in his voice.

"Well," he said, "yeah, I'd say it's going pretty well! It's hard, but I guess I can't complain since I'm the one who asked for this training. It's demanding, but at least I'm learning a lot, so I'm just glad I can do this."

"What kind of training is it?" Galacta Knight asked. "Got any goal in mind?"

"Yeah, I got one," he answered. "I'm trying to master something called Copy Abilities Combinations. It's supposed to let me fuse two abilities together and make new, extra powerful abilities. My teacher says it'll help me reach the pinnacle of my powers! I still got a lot of work to do to reach it, but he says I'm making good progress."

"Copy Abilities Combinations, uh?" the knight smirked, as if he had already heard those words before. "That sounds nice. Who's your teacher?"

Kirby looked up at him with a side smirk. It was clear by the look on the guy's face that he knew who his teacher was; he just wanted to hear it. Maybe he just wanted confirmation? After all, Meta Knight hadn't been around when he had arrived, and he was certainly not showing himself.

"My teacher's Sir Meta Knight, probably the greatest Star Warrior out there," he answered proudly.

He saw the smile on the knight's face grow in a different way than he thought it would; that smile looked… weird… He wasn't amused, he was more like… relieved.

"So Meta Knight's been here all this time, uh?" the knight said to himself. "How's the little guy doing?"

Kirby's face distorted as he tried not to laugh; compared to him, Meta Knight _was_ , indeed, short… In fact, compared to every other Star Warrior of their species, Meta Knight was simply just short, and Kirby was surprised he just now realized it.

"He's doing well, except he got sick lately and he won't tell me what he has. I'm sure he'll be fine though. He used to be kinda weird and unsocial with us, but he's been spending a lot of time with me lately for my training, so I guess I see him everyday now. He told me you two were cousins?"

Galacta Knight turned to look at him, raising his brows in honest surprise.

"He told you?" he asked, to which Kirby gave a nod. "Huh, that's a pleasant surprise. And here I thought he would have denied me as a member of the same clan! So you guys are pretty close? You… You're not his son, are you?"

Kirby's eyes widened and he immediately shook his head, answering:

"Oh, no, not at all! We're not even related. Buuut, yeah, I guess we're pretty close, as far as I'm concerned…"

"Well, that's nice to hear," Galacta smirked. "Meta was always hanging out by himself and he always kept a pretty small circle of friends. Nice to hear he finally got a new student."

"Did he use to get many students back in the day?" Kirby asked him, and Galacta scratched his head.

"I only remember one, and the little guy ended up becoming his best friend."

Best friend? Kirby briefly wondered if he was talking about Knuckle Joe's dad…

"But I hear he got a couple of apprentices," Galacta continued. "What are their names again…"

"Sword and Blade?" Kirby said, and the knight clapped his hands once and nodded his head.

"Yeah, Sword and Blade. I hear he got them after the war and they're still here. I'm gonna work with 'em apparently. How are they?"

"They're pretty neat," Kirby answered truthfully. "They work really well as a team and they're really nice guys, so I think you'll work well with them. My best friend Bun's their apprentice too, so he'll follow along as well."

"Alright, I'll take your word for it," was the last thing Galacta said before they arrived on the training grounds.

At first glance, the meadow was empty, but as they walked further in, Galacta turned, soon followed by Kirby; Meta Knight appeared over the hill, wrapped in his cape, with a grocery bag at his side. The young Star Warrior looked up at the knight standing next to him; as he expected, his expression changed entirely to one he could barely understand. Clearly, it had been ages since they had seen each other, and from what Sir Meta Knight had said the day before, they hadn't left in good terms, even far from it. But… that look on that knight's face, there was a part of it he could recognize. It was very similar to Fumu's look whenever she worried too much about him and Bun… How odd…

Upon seeing them down in the training grounds, Meta Knight stopped walking and stood immobile at the top of the hill, as if he was considering turning away and leaving. However, before he could do anything of the sort, Galacta Knight walked up the hill, slowly at first, but then suddenly, his wings sprung open from his back and the knight flew straight up to Meta Knight. As soon as he did, the smaller knight had no time to step back; Galacta Knight promptly wrapped his arms around his cousin and lifted him off the ground, hugging him tightly as he exclaimed:

"Meta! You're alive! Hahaha!"

Kirby couldn't help but smile brightly and laugh too, but he still preferred to keep his distance. Meta Knight usually didn't like being hugged – or touched in general – and being lifted above the ground like that with a public certainly wasn't on his bucket list. And just as he expected, he heard Meta Knight growl, in a low voice:

"Put… Put. Me. Down. Now."

Galacta Knight did as he was asked and set the smaller knight down. From down in the meadow, Kirby couldn't see what was going on between them, nor could he hear anything else they were saying. For a moment, they didn't move, and the more they stood there, one in front of the other, the more Kirby wondered what had happened between them. Had they been close growing up? Meta Knight did say they were like brothers, so what happened must have been devastating to break such a bond… Kirby couldn't imagine such betrayal; it was as if he and Bun suddenly became enemies…

After a moment, Meta Knight walked around the taller knight, saying a bit louder:

"You'll find them in town, be sure to treat them nicely and keep to your job. If Arthur sent you, I expect some quality work."

Galacta Knight turned as well as his cousin walked down the hill, a strange, almost defeated look on his face. He rolled his eyes and turned again.

"Sure, I got it. See ya later, shorty. It was nice meeting you, Kirby!"

With one last wave of his hand, the knight opened his large, beautiful wings, and with one, strong downward flap, he was already in the sky, flying off toward town. As Kirby's eyes remained glued to the sky and to that winged, vanishing shadow, Meta Knight walked past him, still carrying the grocery bag, mumbling things under his breath in a tongue he couldn't understand yet sounded familiar. Kirby followed him to the tree where they usually left their equipment, where his teacher uncovered what he had brought from town; oh, glorious food!

As they dug in, Kirby asked, mouth full:

"What kind of job is he gonna do here? I mean, I know he's here to hunt the demon-beast and help Sword and Blade, but how?"

Meta Knight's eyes looked up at him, and he put his plate and chopsticks down, answering calmly:

"The Demon Hunter Agency uses a wide array of demon hunting techniques developed over years of experience. Galacta Knight will set up traps around the town and, depending on whether the demon shows up again or not, he will attempt to track it down. The goal is usually to capture it alive and relocate it, but that will depend on its type, class and rarity."

"Relocate?" Kirby repeated. "So it's possible it'll just go on another star?"

"Yes," Meta Knight nodded. "For example, a class-C demon-beast that's relatively common like a Noddy will be moved to the closest known herd on a different star, but a rarer class-B or above demon-beast might be kept for either inspection or experimentation, but will eventually be relocated to its own kind after it's been tagged."

"Are there exceptions?" the student asked, to which the knight nodded.

"Some demon-beasts are unique, as you know, and depending on their level of threat, class-S demon-beasts will be kept in captivity at the Agency. Currently, seeing as the Agency is still young, there are none at the station, but it is only a matter of time."

Kirby looked down at his meal, thoughtful. Off the top of his head, he could name a few class-S demon-beasts, unique names that weren't on the production line, but he could only wonder just how many there were out there, hiding. Maybe… a class-S demon-beast was responsible for his dreams? He could only ask, without asking directly…

"Can we tell if the one here is a class-S?" he questioned, to which his mentor hummed as a response.

"It's hard to say," he answered. "All demon-beasts are dangerous in their own way, but if we consider the amount of damage, namely, Dyna Blade's infant's wounds and the damage the town sustained, I'd say it is a class-B or above. If you have an idea, I'd be interested to hear your take on this."

Kirby was surprised to hear him say this, considering how _he_ was the one learning about demon-hunting, and he took a moment to think, looking down at his food. He wanted to talk about those dreams so badly… but didn't. Instead, he said:

"I don't… I mean, I just think it'd be cool if that demon-beast could be talked to. Like, we could know why it did that to Dyno and why it wrecked the town, you know. I mean, Nightmare's gone, there's no one to control them and make them do evil things anymore, so I don't get it."

Meta Knight remained quiet a moment; Kirby could feel his eyes glued on him, and strangely, it made him feel awkward, like something was off. Again. That wall between them…

"Some demon-beasts," the knight spoke, "are only animals. Some are still animals, but develop a consciousness. But these, as you said, only did 'evil' things because they were forced to. They were dreams forced into small nightmares, so to speak. However, some demon-beasts are born into darkness. They are unique, and they are made to be intelligent and above all those that are considered 'inferior'. Those are called the true nightmares; and they are all class-S."

Kirby didn't say anything during this short pause, and watched intently as Meta Knight lifted a cup of water to his visor and drank for a few seconds. Kirby knew all of this… but there was something more.

"Those particular demon-beasts are considered the most dangerous of all," the knight continued, "because they are intelligent. They are unpredictable, and they can be molded into anything. And as such, from the moment they are created, they are continuously nourished with ill will and words of conquest. Even with their master gone, those class-S that remain today still dream of the world they were promised and fail to see the dream they are destroying, as they quite simply despise its existence. If the demon who attacked the town was a class-S, I doubt you'd be able to have any other answer from it other than what I just told you."

Kirby looked down again. Now this was pretty disappointing. Here he had hoped that maybe, _maybe_ , he could have convinced that demon-beast to stop whatever it was planning to do, but if they were so impossible to convince… Maybe he just needed to try more? If they could be molded into doing evil, maybe they could be molded to do the opposite… Without him thinking about it twice, a question slipped through his lips…

"Is it possible that one of those demons can take Nightmare's place?"

Meta Knight was quiet, and Kirby didn't like this silence. Then, the knight said, quietly:

"Yes. Yes, it is possible, but not likely. What is most likely to happen is that another enemy will take Nightmare's place as number one threat of the Universe. Demon-beast or not, you must be prepared for it to happen. Do you understand?"

"But," Kirby began, feeling that strange heat rise up to his cheeks again, "why _must_ it happen? Why can't the Universe stay in peace? Nightmare was _just_ defeated, after hundreds of thousands of years of terrorizing the Universe! I mean, can't we catch a break?"

Meta Knight gave a small, half-hearted chuckle, and he lightly shook his head.

"Star Warriors must always be prepared, son. For us, there is no peace. We must always be vigilant, because it is precisely because Nightmare was just defeated that it is the perfect time for someone else to take his place."

Meta Knight's eyes shone a little brighter then, and Kirby felt something warm inside.

"Remember, son, the stars are watching you. When the time is right and you must stand before another enemy, you will know."

"But how?" Kirby asked, sounding almost a little desperate.

To his surprise, Meta Knight lightly shrugged, as if the discussion itself was a light subject.

"It's hard to say," he answered, lifting his plate and taking back his chopsticks to continue eating. "Not even I understand the stars' choices sometimes. The only clear time they sent me a sign was through dreams. Perhaps you could look out for that."

Kirby bit his lip and looked down at his food again. There certainly were tons of signs in his dreams lately, but they were so grim, he could only imagine the worst.

"If you truly want to know what lies ahead," Meta Knight said, "perhaps you could go see Kabu. Perhaps even your Warp Star may know something."

Kirby looked up at him, surprised.

"My Warp Star?" he repeated. "But… it's a flying rock."

"Indeed, it is," Meta Knight chuckled lightly. "That may be, but it is still conscious. It is you, Kirby, it is your soul and your heart. It whispers, so you must listen closely."

And as he repeated those words in his mind, Kirby wondered, for the thousandth time since he knew him, how in the stars his master knew all of this while he knew close to nothing about himself. Maybe that wasn't such a bad idea. He hadn't used his Warp Star in a long time, surely it would make him feel better to go see it. It was like seeing an old friend, after all. Who knows, maybe Meta Knight was right and Kabu knew more about what the future held. After all, the big statue _did_ predict his arrival! Maybe there was more!

As he looked up toward his mentor, the younger Star Warrior gave a light sigh. Surely… there was a way to break the wall that stood between them… Surely there was a way to break both of their masks at once… Maybe then, hearing him call him 'son' wouldn't feel as odd…


	6. The Eye That Laughs

**Fallen Stars: A New Age**

 **Act 1 - Chapter Six: The Eye that Laughs**

 _The path… It was all he wanted to find. He didn't care whether he could master the double ability or not; all he wanted, was to find the path he had been told to find._

 _You can do it! You can find it! C'mon, you're a Star Warrior, surely you can find it! You defeated Nightmare, you're invincible! You can do anything! Anything…_

 _But if he could truly do anything, then why was it so hard to find such a simple thing? It was just as he was told; a path, shining through the endless stars and nebulas of the pocket Universe that lived inside him. In there, in that Universe, he could see all of his abilities – Fire, Water, Sword, Spark, Wheel, Beam, Ninja, and so many more, just floating and drifting, waiting for him to find the way, waiting and waiting for him to_ open _the way. If he could just… find it…_

 _But you can't, can you? You can't find it. Why did Sir Meta Knight even put his faith in you in the first place? You're not even good enough to be his apprentice. He doesn't even trust you._

 _This Universe had nothing for him. No path, and no light; just… nothing._

 _Kirby!_

 _Mmh? What was that…?_

 _Kirby!_

Who _was that…?_

 _Kirby!_

 _Ah, yes. That voice; Fumu! But where was she?_

 _Kirby…!_

 _Fumu? Where are you?_

 _Kirby…_

 _Where was she?! There was nothing in here! No voice, no light, no path, nothing!_

 _And then… A chuckle. A small, heartfelt yet cold chuckle, echoing all around him. In his left ear, then in his right, circling all around his faded form, going from small chuckles and growing into louder and louder laughter, and no matter where he turned, no matter where he moved, he couldn't see_ anything _._

 _Hahaha! How funny! So small and so_ puny _, he could just be squished right then and there! So alone, poor little Kirby! There is no one for you, poor little thing, no family and no friend. They're all gone… and it's all your fault…_

 _Then, fire filled his vision; a perfect illusion of a distant, unknown memory took over the nothingness, filling it with fire and flames. He saw figures, silhouettes running away from the burning winds, shadows both familiar and unknown fleeing, away from him, away from the darkness. He extended his hand, calling to them, asking them to wait for him; but dark fire shot out of his form and consumed him, burning away at his flesh. Red hot pain shot through his being, and everything that he was, down to his very bones and to the world of stars and life inside him, turned to ashes…_

 _And he heard the laughter again…_

 _Forever hunting him…_

 _As he felt a thousand eyes staring, endlessly…_

* * *

That night, Galacta Knight patrolled the town carefully, scouting the sky like a silent vulture watching over its prey. From everything he had heard and seen, he would have expected the demon-beast to appear again, but after four hours of scouting and searching… there was nothing. Quite simply nothing. Pupu Village was as quiet as any normal town at night, with the random cappy and animal venturing out and immediately vanishing somewhere whenever he told said cappy to go back inside. His traps all around the town and in the fields were left untouched, and the only thing he had caught until now was a squirrel that had found its way into a trap. Although he knew that if that demon-beast was intelligent, it wouldn't attack in the same manner as it first did and certainly not in the two days following the first attack, he now understood why the king called the Agency. Sword and Blade had found no trace and no tracks, and neither did he. In the morning, Galacta would need to report back to Arthur and tell him he would stay a bit longer.

At least, he told himself, this place was rather interesting. There were many interesting people, and some he had yet to meet… and his cousin was here. Speaking of which, he was probably home right now… Maybe now would be a correct time to talk… It wasn't like there was anything out here. A little break wouldn't hurt anybody.

With this in mind, the knight adjusted his flight path and changed course straight toward the castle. A few lights remained here and there in the towers and he could see a fair amount of Waddle Dees guarding the ramparts – and by guarding, he meant sleeping around, huddled in small groups of adorableness. Those little guys were incredible in their numbers, but he wondered if their feebleness would be useful during an attack. It had certainly been useless against many attacks in the previous years, from what he had heard in town and from the knights. At least a few were awake and watching, so he couldn't complain.

Silently, he flew over the walls under the surprised gazes of the guards and ascended toward the Knights' tower, where their quarters resided. He flew up straight to the balcony of the main apartment, and arrived right upon his cousin. The smaller knight was just standing there, on the balcony, wrapped in his cape like a bat as immobile as a statue. He didn't even react when he appeared, and Galacta silently perched upon the stone wall of the balcony on one of the protruding bricks. Folding his wings against his sides, Galacta kneeled forward, curiously watching his cousin's face. His eyes were closed… Was he sleeping? Or meditating? It was so hard to tell with that mask of his… Maybe if he took it off, he would see, but would Meta Knight tear his face off if he did? Probably.

Galacta had barely lifted his hand toward him when his eyes suddenly opened. At first, they were faded, as if misty and lost, but when he safely stepped back into his body and came back from his trance, he looked up at him, eyes flashing in surprise. Those eyes of his then filled with something that made Galacta feel immediately unwelcome; contempt.

"What do you want?" Meta Knight asked, wrapping his cape a bit tighter around him. "You know I'm busy."

"Sure doesn't look like it," Galacta joked, only to receive a more hateful look. "I'm just kidding. I just thought… Look, we need to talk, alright?"

His cousin then gave a heavy sigh he didn't try to hide, then looked up at him once more, looking more and more disinterested.

"Why don't you come back another time?" he said. "I don't have time to talk right now, nor do I want to."

"Of course you don't," Galacta Knight agreed, lowering his head a bit, "but just hear me out, okay? I…"

Meta Knight hated him; that was what his eyes were growling at him, constantly.

"I'm sorry. I didn't…"

He sighed.

"Nova, I'm terrible at this," he grumbled under his breath, refusing to look at him and turning his head away. "Look, your mask just puts me off, why don't you take it off and we'll talk face to-"

"No. The mask will stay on."

Well, that settled that.

"And you know very well why."

That sentence felt like a stab right in the pink knight's guts, and he flinched slightly, instinctively wrapping his wings around his arms as if to shield himself from the words.

"Um, yeah, you're right, I forgot…," Galacta mumbled before looking back up at him and sighing deeply. "Look, I'm sorry, okay? I got nothing more to say. I'm just sorry."

Meta Knight didn't answer… Instead, his gaze grew distant, and he looked away.

"You ruined everything…," he spoke in a low voice, a voice his cousin only used to hear when they were much younger.

"I know I did," Galacta sighed, staring down. "Believe me, I've been living with this for the past millenia, I know I ruined everything we've worked for."

"And all you can do is apologize?" his cousin continued in the same tone of voice.

Galacta Knight straightened up, determination suddenly flashing in his eyes, and he put his fist up against his heart as if in a salute.

"If you want something else from me, just ask. I'll do anything. I promise, I _will_ make up for my mistakes."

With a deep sigh, Meta Knight turned around and began walking off, saying in a growling voice:

"It would be best if you just left Dreamland. I can take care of everything here without you in my way."

As soon as he began to leave the balcony, Galacta Knight's heart started beating loudly in his ears, as if yelling at him to do something, as if it would be his last chance to change his opinion. He did the first thing he thought of, the only thing that seemed logical, and the pink knight jumped down from the small stone wall, making his boots clank on the ground. He fell on one knee and set his fist on the ground, bowing his head as low as he could, and as Meta Knight's hand touched one of the doors to go back inside, his cousin spoke loud and clear.

"Lord Meta Knight! Please, listen to me."

Those words made the blue knight stop in his tracks, but he didn't turn around, and listened.

"What happened all those years ago was my responsibility, and I ran away from it. I was supposed to protect you, I was supposed to be your shield, but I took your dignity and ran it through the mud instead. By doing so, I lost all my pride as well. I am nothing and I have been nothing for all this time. Now I am begging you; please, allow me to restore my honour. I will be your servant, and I will do all that you ask of me. Just give me one more chance."

For a long moment, there was a heavy silence between them, one that lasted long enough to make Galacta Knight doubt his cousin's response. Then, Meta Knight turned around, but Galacta Knight refused to look up at him; surely, his gaze would have been as unreadable as it used to be when they were kids. After a moment longer, Meta Knight eventually spoke.

"You were once Captain of the Winged Knights, the pride of our clan and my most trustworthy protector, and now you've fallen to a low mercenary life, cowering away from your duties while the rest of us were massacred. Why should I trust you, Galacta?"

"Because you know me," was Galacta Knight's answer. "We are of the same clan, and we are still bound by blood. Until the day I die, I will continue to raise my shield to defend you, brother. I failed to keep my promise once, I won't fail again."

Meta Knight hummed as a response, but took a moment before giving his answer.

"Then all I ask of you is that you do what you came here to do. Catch that demon-beast, and don't get in the way of Kirby's training. In the end, it's Arthur who decides, not me."

When Galacta started hearing his steps once more, the knight raised his head, only to see that Meta Knight had already opened the door and was heading in. Galacta stood up immediately and took a couple steps forward, calling to him:

"If that's what you ask, then I will. But… should you ever need help for… all of this, I'll be glad to lend a hand. Remember that."

The blue knight slightly turned his head to cast one last glance at his cousin; he only gave a nod, and it was enough for the both of them. Galacta Knight spread his wings and took off as soon as the door closed behind Meta Knight, ending a conversation that had waited thousands of years to be spoken.

When the door closed behind him and he felt his cousin's presence had left, Meta Knight heaved a deep sigh, raising a hand through the visor of his mask to sweep the sweat sticking to his forehead. He had expected Galacta Knight would try and talk to him about their old affair, but he hadn't expected him to actually kneel before him. By principle, the older of the two never referred to him as 'lord', so it came as a surprise. Perhaps he was somewhat trustworthy after all… but he would need to wait and see. Meta Knight took a few steps forward, but he felt horribly loopy all of a sudden and he had to brace himself on a chair. Immediately, as if sensing his trouble, Blade ran up to his side and helped him sit, saying:

"I've made some more medicine, sir, I'll prepare a dose right away."

The apprentice left, but Bun came closer to hand him a glass of water, which he took with a thankful nod.

"This Galacta Knight seems like an okay guy," the lad commented with a soft voice. "But is it really alright if we help him…?"

Meta Knight breathed out deeply, trying to even the numb pain in his head by closing his tired eyes. Under the mask, he gave the ghost of a smirk.

"Somehow," he said softly, "I think he'll find out by himself eventually. Let's give him some time… Perhaps it's a good thing he's here… should things go wrong…"

* * *

Kirby opened his eyes with a gasp; he could still hear the remnants of laughter, terrible and horrible laughter, even as he regained his senses. A cold sweat swept through him, making him shudder in his sticky sheets that glued themselves to his body. Feeling light-headed, he angrily pushed them aside with his feet and stepped down from the bed, legs shaky. He walked to his sink and quickly turned on the faucet to splash cold water on his face, trying to feel something other than his own fears, but it did little to calm him. He looked outside, slowly blinking his tired eyes. It was barely dawn; the sun wasn't even peeking over the horizon yet.

"Uh…?" Tokkori mumbled as the small bird woke up, and he looked around before gazing at Kirby in confusion. "Up already, Kirb? Again? What's up with ya, pal?"

Kirby shook his head and forced himself to laugh, turning back to the bird as he pressed a towel to his face.

"It's nothing, I just… I gotta be up anyway, got stuff to do today."

Tokkori sent him a look that told him he wasn't buying it, and the little bird scoffed, as per usual.

"Yeah, sure, and I'm supposed to ignore all that tossing and creepy moaning while you slept?"

Kirby blinked at him. Of course Tokkori would have been keeping an eye on that particular thing, considering his roommate had been the only witness to his frantic dreaming.

"Moaning?" Kirby repeated. "Was I… saying stuff while I was sleeping…?"

Tokkori stared at him a moment, and Kirby couldn't help but notice how awkward he looked. The bird scratched under his beak, humming as if considering what to say.

"Well, uh, I'm not saying that to be an ass," he started, "but yeah, you were calling for your mom."

The young warrior's eyes widened a bit. His mom…? But…

"But I don't have a mom…," he mumbled more to himself than to his friend. "Did I… say anything else?"

Tokkori shrugged his shoulders as an answer.

"Nothing much, that's mostly what I could make out of it. You stopped for a while, so I didn't wake you 'cause I thought you were fine, but yer so pale I'm startin' to regret not to!"

As soon as he said that, Kirby grabbed his cheeks and rubbed them hard, trying to bring colour back to his face. At the same time, he headed for the door, mumbling:

"Gotta go… Sorry I kept you from sleeping, I'll try and not do it again…"

Before he could hear anything else, Kirby closed the door behind him and left on the road, but he had barely taken a few steps out that he heard Tokkori from the opened window yell:

"You'd better tell somebody 'bout those dreams, pal! I ain't sitting through another night like this, and neither are you!"

Kirby waved his hand at him but didn't say anything; instead, he could only bite his lip, conflicted inside as to what to do. He knew very well he wouldn't last long if he kept dreaming like this, but… Who would he tell? Fumu would just worry for him and he certainly wouldn't want that, Bun was already busy with the demon-beast hunt and… there was still a wall between him and Sir Meta Knight, a wall he didn't know how to break. He simply could _not_ tell him about these dreams, however bad they became. He didn't know why, and it aggravated him. Then, who could he see? Who had answers?

 _'_ _If you truly want to know what lies ahead, perhaps you could go see Kabu. Perhaps even your Warp Star may know something.'_

That's right, Meta Knight told him that… Maybe Kabu really was the solution. After all, the all-knowing entity was supposedly a sanctuary of some sorts for Star Warriors; a place where they could seek peace, tranquility, safety, and most of all, answers. With this in mind, Kirby changed direction and headed for the road that lead to the outskirts of town.

* * *

That morning, Fumu left her family's apartments early, having woken up earlier than everyone else. For some reason, as she awoke that morning, a strange feeling had crept up her back and into her head, forcing a sudden, odd concern in her heart and the start of a headache. Her heart had been beating so loudly when she woke up… Maybe she was coming down with something. A walk outside might be just what she needed right now. And so, wrapping herself in a shawl as it was still somewhat chilly so early in the morning, she left her home and headed out.

As soon as she stepped outside the main doors into the courtyard, she stopped to take a moment to breathe, closing her eyes for a long moment as she raised her face to the brightening sky. When she opened her eyes, she was surprised at the shadow looming overhead, but soon realized who this was and stood immobile as the shadow quickly changed course and headed down into the courtyard. Sir Galacta Knight gracefully landed a few feet away from her and offered her a light bow as greetings.

"Good morning, Miss," he greeted as he walked toward her, taking his mask off as to be polite.

Fumu observed him from head to feet a short instant, met with his bright, ruby eyes for what seemed like an eternity, and felt her heart speed up a little bit, making her smirk lightly and nod her head back at him.

"Good morning, Sir," she answered. "I don't believe we've been properly introduced, have we?"

"Indeed, we haven't," the knight agreed before waving his hand elegantly in her direction. "Please, tell me your name, young lady."

It felt so strange to be spoken to with such a language that didn't come from an old man or Sir Meta Knight, and she had to force herself to keep her smile even as she introduced herself.

"My name is Fumu, daughter of Prime Minister Parm."

"Aah," the knight appeared like he had heard her name before, and like the gentleman she had thought he was, he bowed down once more and this time gently took her hand to kiss it lightly. "A name I've heard many times in town." He straightened up and smiled at her, a legitimate smile that somehow spoke many words to her. "I am Sir Galacta Knight. It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss."

It took Fumu a short moment to realize she was staring at him and she looked away, tightening her shawl around her shoulders.

"It's a… pleasure to meet you too. How is the hunt going?"

From the corner of her eye, she saw him take a strange look, as if he didn't really know what to say, and he scratched his cheek, looking a bit at the sky.

"Uhm, well," he hesitated, "it's going well, as far as the town's safety is concerned, but I won't hide that this'll be a hard hunt. The demon-beast left close to zero traces outside the village, but worry not. I'm not called a demon hunter for nothing after all!" He punched his chest and smiled at her with a strong confidence that spilled out onto her, making her smirk back. "I'll find it."

"I'm sure you will, Sir Galacta Knight," she agreed.

She paused a couple seconds and felt her heart flutter wildly in an odd way as she looked up at him and asked:

"Have you visited the town?"

"I have, for most of it," he nodded his head. "But I haven't had the time to see the rest of what this land holds. I suppose if I stay a bit longer, I'll have the time to visit."

She tightened her shawl a bit and looked away, almost shyly.

"If you have time this morning, would you like me to show you around?"

She didn't see it, but Galacta's smile brightened, and he gave a short bow.

"I certainly do have time, and I would love to, Miss Fumu."

She turned to him for a short moment and smirked, before gesturing him to follow and saying as she started heading for the bridge:

"Well then, shall we? There's a surprising amount of things to see around here."

And Galacta walked by her side, feeling so much lighter all of a sudden; in a few sentences exchanged with this young mistress, his stay here had become much more interesting…

* * *

Kirby stepped onto the road of the canyon, and gulped down a ball of saliva blocking his throat. An unfamiliar feeling had paved its way up across his body during the whole trip from his house to here, something uncomfortable and unwelcome he could only call dread. He walked down the path and entered the closed off walls of the canyon, rising high above him. The rising sun wasn't even reaching into the path yet and it was as if it was still night in this area. A cold chill ran up his back when a breeze flew past him, but Kirby shook it off and continued on, until he reached the end of the path. Here, the lonely Kabu stood, his starry, black eyes staring up at the morning sky as the first rays of the sun brushed the top of his head. Below, as Kirby stepped closer, the flames of the altar at the statue's foot brightened and raised, as if awakening along with the land.

"Kirby," the booming voice of the statue echoed in the valley, making him jump. "Kabu knew you would come. Kabu saw this day, many years ago, when you arrived on this star. Come closer."

The boy clearly hesitated, but his curiosity got the best of his fears and he did as he was asked. Once he stood closer to the altar, he looked up at the statue's face and asked:

"Kabu, there's something I want to know. Why am I having all of these weird dreams? What do they mean?"

For a long moment, the statue remained silent, so much so that Kirby thought he hadn't asked the right question. He was about to ask another when the statue's mouth moved and Kabu's words echoed in his ears like cymbals.

"It is a sign."

Kirby blinked. A sign? A sign for what? What was this feeling… spreading through his bones right now…? What was this fear… a fear that not even the thought of Nightmare gave him…?

"It is a sign," Kabu spoke, "that Zero is waking."

That name. Zero. The young Star Warrior suddenly felt cold, _very_ cold, and his heart began beating in his ears as this name repeated itself. It felt like… he knew this name, from long ago, or perhaps instinctively, from the bottom of the Universe inside him… He stood immobile, unable to say anything, and listened still.

"Nightmare was but a small flicker of darkness," Kabu continued, forcing him to focus, "in the grand scheme of the Universe. Kabu saw it. Kabu waited for it."

"B-but," Kirby tried to speak, " _who_ is this… Zero? What does it want with me?"

"Zero is darkness."

Kirby gulped down a ball of saliva, feeling a cold sweat run down his head.

"Zero represents all that is not part of the dream. Zero is what you are not."

Kirby forced his eyes closed, wishing he would stop saying that name over and over again. He was so cold right now… It was like he was floating in nothing, and that name was cold teeth planting in his skin repeatedly.

"Zero is necessary."

He opened his eyes. Necessary…? What a strange word to use to describe an evil…

"Necessary for what?" he asked.

But alas, Kabu did not answer, and instead, Kirby reverted to asking:

"Why am I dreaming of this… Zero? What am I supposed to do?"

A long silence filled the valley, so heavy that it seemed like the light of the morning sun had vanished under this weight, so heavy that Kirby felt so much more tired than he had thought he was.

"You dream," Kabu finally said, "because you must remember. There are things you have forgotten, long ago, long before you came here. Come inside, Kirby. Your Warp Star calls for you."

Now, Kirby was just confused. Things he had forgotten? But how could he have forgotten things if all that he knew was this star and his life here? He had just been a baby, there was no way he could remember anything before that! Or was he talking about something else? Something deeper? Something he should know but couldn't know? And this Zero! How dangerous of a threat was it? Was it even a threat to start with? What did Kabu mean by 'necessary'? He had come here with few questions, and now was stuck with so many more…

Without saying anything, the young hero ascended the stairs leading to the fiery altar and went past the flames to enter the sanctuary. Inside, the air was filled with something different; serenity. The gentle quietness of this place took over him like a blanket wrapping around him and he happily stepped down the set of stairs to reach the ground floor.

There, at the back of the sanctuary, laid his Warp Star, resting in its usual socket. It had been so long since he had come here last that there were cobwebs around the altar, which he promptly brushed off. He looked down at the object, and when he did, a soft glow emanated from it, as if resonating from inside. As if he was pulled toward it by a rope attached to each of his limbs, Kirby was drawn to the stone and extended a hand to touch it. It had been so long since he used it, he almost felt bad for letting it rest here forgotten for so long…

"Kabu," Kirby called out, looking up at the starry ceiling of the sanctuary. "What will happen if Zero completely wakes up?"

Silence… and the answer. It echoed and reverberated from wall to wall, each word repeating twice and thrice in his head like he was but a receptor.

"Dreamland, Popstar, and the Universe will cease to be as they are. Balance will be broken, and all living things will fall into a never-ending nightmare. Your dream will end. Another will start."

Kirby shakily breathed out, not noticing that he was grasping his star. Just how powerful was this Zero? And most of all… why?

"But… why is Zero doing this?" he asked to the entity.

But again, Kabu had no answers. All he knew, he had spoken, and no matter the question he asked, Kabu said nothing. Instead, Kirby tried to change the subject while still trying to answer some questions, and he asked:

"Kabu, is the demon-beast who attacked the town related to Zero?"

Silence lasted again, but this time, an answer eventually came from the all-knowing entity.

"It is."

Despite how simple the answer was, Kirby felt somewhat relieved. Maybe he could help in the hunt after all!

"Where is the demon-beast? Is it hiding near?"

This time, the answer he was given left him most perplexed…

"The demon-beast is both far and near. It is both guilty and innocent. To reach it, a barrier you and it must break. You must remember, Kirby. If you remember, you will defeat the demon-beast, and the dream will continue."

Kirby frowned, only feeling frustrated at how vague these answers were.

"Remember what?!" he questioned, letting his anger take over his voice for a second. "What are you talking about?"

"Remember, and you will know."

Kirby let his arms fall, defeated.

"Of course I'll know when I remember! That's the whole point of remembering stuff!"

He sighed and sat down against the closest wall a moment, needing some time to think. He held his head in his hands, and he spoke up:

"If you're going to be vague, then answer me this. What's Meta Knight's sickness? Is it going to get worse?"

He wished he had never asked…

"Sir Meta Knight is sick with darkness. His condition will worsen everyday until he can no longer fulfill his duty. Then, he will die, as planned."

Kirby's eyes widened, and his voice escaped him. He will… die…? As… planned? What kind of sickness was that? Was it literal darkness, or just vague, poetic darkness? How could he know? Meta Knight told him it wasn't lethal! There was no way he could die because of this!

"No," he said with a broken voice. "You're wrong. He's not gonna die. I-I'll make him better. I'll find something to make him better, and he's not gonna die! How do you know that it's planned anyway?! It doesn't make sense, you can't plan death!"

"Kabu was told this many years ago," Kabu said. "By Sir Meta Knight."

Kirby closed his eyes, unable to comprehend anything. Sir Meta Knight… told Kabu he would die? But how could he know something like this? Of course, Meta Knight knew many things, even more than he let on, but to know the future to the point of knowing when you'd die… Was this, in a way, related to Zero awakening? Meta Knight… could die… No, he couldn't believe this. He just couldn't! He shook his head, keen on his own idea that no one could predict the future.

"No, that's wrong too," he said, rubbing his tired eyes with his hands. "It's just not… No, I won't believe this!"

He stood up and walked to his Warp Star, staring at it as if searching for someone who agreed with him.

"I'll find something to cure him and everything's going to be fine. I'm not worried about Zero either. I beat Nightmare, I can beat it! Even if it comes in my dreams each night, I'll still beat it at its own game! I guarantee it!"

The confidence in his voice made the star glow in response, and it was the first time this morning that he smiled, although it was a weak smirk. No one could predict the future. It was impossible. He would make sure of that.

Then… he heard voices. Coming from outside. They were coming closer, and closer…

"And here we are," a female voice spoke, one he immediately recognized as Fumu's. "Good morning, Kabu."

"Wow," a male voice bearing a heavy accent awed. "I don't think I've ever seen such a well preserved Kabu! Is it still able to see into the future?"

"Yes, he can, but his predictions are always vague, so I try not to completely rely on them. Sometimes he predicts stuff, and sometimes he just repeats stuff. It's hard to tell which is which."

"They're probably still more reliable than a broken Kabu's predictions. We had a Kabu near our home back when we were still young on Khazta Star, but it was completely in ruins and overcome by wilderness. Whatever words it could say, they were always mumbles from the past, and nothing concrete for the future. It basically repeated whatever it was told, so no one knew whether what it said was truth or not. At least this one here seems to be respected around here."

"The village holds Kabu in great regard. He's the one who predicted Kirby would arrive here, among other things. Inside him is where Kirby keeps his Warp Star."

"A… A Warp Star?! Wait… he has one?!"

"Yes, he does. Have you seen one before…?"

"Uhm, can I see it? I'm just curious."

"Sure…"

Kirby heard their steps come closer and for a moment, for a reason he didn't quite understand, he panicked. Quickly, the distraught young warrior turned away from his star and ran up the stairs, so that when he exited the sanctuary he came face to face with Fumu and Sir Galacta Knight. The two appeared shocked to see him here and Fumu exclaimed:

"Oh, Kirby! I didn't expect to see you here. What are you doing here?"

"Uh," Kirby hesitated, looking from Fumu to the knight and refusing to meet their eyes in fear that they would read everything he had heard this morning. "N-nothing, I was just, uh, visiting my Warp Star. It's, uhm, getting lonely, you know, since uh, I don't use it much… 'cause rocks have feelings too, you know. I'm gonna go now, I'll be late… Bye."

With his quick step, he walked past them in a hurry, still refusing to look at them as they eyed him confusingly. The words he heard from Galacta Knight, even as he quickly left Kabu's valley, echoed in his ears…

"They have the same eyes…"

Kirby felt confused. Lost and confused, but also afraid. It was as if Kabu's words still hadn't reached him, as if he hadn't understood yet just what it meant that Zero was waking up, or what role that demon-beast played in all of this. Just how were they linked? What did this all mean? Knowing all this, how could he help?

So many questions, and close to no answers… What to do now? His daily meeting with Meta Knight wasn't until later this morning and he had close to three hours to kill. He wasn't hungry, and he certainly didn't want to talk to anyone. Maybe… he could start early. Meditating would maybe help him think this through, or maybe running around the beach would help empty his mind.

When he arrived at the meadow and he stepped on the highest hill, he looked down upon what looked like a completely different place. The morning sun was already warm and shining on a field of newly grown flowers; thousands and thousands of small, white flowers, opening one by one under the light of the sun, covering the meadow with a bed of glowing white. Butterflies, bumblebees and even small birds were flying around, fluttering around in serenity, so peacefully that Kirby felt a weight lift off of his shoulders in an instant of watching.

Without hesitating, Kirby walked down the hill and into the flower field, almost in a trance. The rays of the morning sun shone on the dew that covered the waking flowers, surrounding the young apprentice in a sea of stars as he slowly made his way through the fresh blades of grass. Once he reached a certain point in the field, Kirby let himself fall backward and onto his back with his arms spread, flattening the flowers in a bed around his round form, and there, he stared at the brightening sky.

He remained immobile there for a very long time, so much so that he forgot everything else but whatever it was he wanted to focus on. The passing clouds were all he could see, and they alone were proof that time was still passing. He just couldn't understand anything. None of all of this made sense.

Who was this Zero? Zero was darkness. Those were Kabu's words.

Nightmare had been a but a small flicker of darkness. Those were also the statue's words.

Had Zero been behind Nightmare all this time? Or had it just been waiting for him to fall? Kabu said this darkness was waking up, so maybe Zero had been sleeping all this time. If so, why was he waking now? What caused this awakening to happen? And what was Zero trying to tell him in his dreams?

The only things he could take out of those night visions were terrible laughs and so, so many eyes, staring at him, always, and corrupting all that was pure in his own eyes. Did this mean that Zero was trying to bring him down? Or was this a simple warning of things to come? And that demon-beast…? How did it tie in to Zero's awakening?

Kabu also mentioned that he needed to remember something, but Kirby had honestly no idea of what it could possibly be. He generally had a good memory, but the farthest he could recall was when he first awoke in his starship as it hovered in Popstar's orbit, and gazed at the star's marvellous and unforgettable lights and rings. Beyond that, there was nothing. It was as if he was born out of the stars and sent toward Popstar, and that was it. What was there to remember?

Kirby didn't have a family. No real brother, no real sister, no mother, no father, and certainly no cousins. No matter where he looked inside him, no matter which cloud his eyes latched on to, he couldn't find anything to possibly remember.

And it frustrated him to no end.

He hated being so confused. He despised not receiving any answers to his questions, and he despised being so lost all the time. He closed his eyes and groaned, almost hoping doing so would stir something in his mind…

He was so, so tired… Maybe he could take a short nap here… He didn't really feel like moving from this spot…

"Oh! Sir Meta Knight! Good timing! There is a letter for you, Sir!"

Kirby blinked his eyes open, surprised to hear that voice all of a sudden; it was the voice of Postmaster Moso's young assistant and replacement, a young lad who clearly enjoyed this job.

"Mmh? For me?"

Kirby lifted himself up and turned his head in the direction the voices came from, beyond the hill, trying to focus on listening.

"Yup! Fancy stuff too, it's express mail from Arranza Star, with a royal stamp and all."

"I see… Thank you for the delivery."

"No problem Sir! Have a good day!"

The young Star Warrior briefly remained frozen in place before rushing to his feet to crawl up the hill, his curiosity getting the best of him. Once he was at the top, he remained on his belly, simply looking over the grass and the flowers at the road down below. The mailman was leaving for the castle, probably to deliver things for the king or the Prime Minister's family, while Sir Meta Knight remained there on the road, surrounded by Sword, Blade and Bun. He saw him look up at them and nod, saying softly:

"Go on ahead you three, I will see you later. Come report to me if anything comes up."

They all saluted him, and the spying one atop the hill saw them leave soon after, casually chatting among each other. Meanwhile, Meta Knight remained standing there, staring at what seemed to be the letter that was just delivered. For a long moment, the knight just stood there, not moving, just looking down… and then he opened it. From such a long distance, Kirby obviously couldn't know what the letter was saying, and he began to wonder what was this Arranza Star the mailman spoke of. Where was this star? Was it near, or very far from here? He had never heard this name before, so it was probably not in the nearby system…

Kirby looked back at the knight, and it took him a moment to see something peculiar; his eyes… they were a bright, happy blue.

Even from this distance, Kirby could just feel it, this happiness, this warmth, as he fondly read this letter. Whoever it was from, his mentor was obviously happy to receive news of them, and now, looking at him, Kirby reconsidered asking him about Zero. The knight would surely be in a good mood today, and speaking of this… whatever it was, would surely ruin this perfect day… Maybe he should wait before talking it out with him…

For a long time, he remained there, sitting in the flowers, contemplating what he should and shouldn't say, and when he stood up and looked back down at the road, he made up his mind. He would wait before bringing it up. He needed time to think about his words.

He walked down the hill to go and meet up with his mentor, and he noticed that he had pulled a photo along with the letter, and never before had he seen such bright eyes in that visor. Kirby stood in front of him and Meta Knight didn't even notice him, so he prepared a good smile and hid all of his fears and worries behind it, and said in a happy tone:

"Good morning Sir Meta Knight!"

The elder looked up at him, blinking his eyes back to amber, and his gaze smiled at him in a way that made Kirby's fake smile become real.

"Oh, hello Kirby," the knight greeted while putting away both the photo and the letter back in the envelope. "I didn't think you'd be up this early."

"Yeah," Kirby chuckled, looking a bit to the side, trying to search for something that could possibly bring those blue eyes back more often. "I, uh, was thinking that I could maybe, uh, meditate with you this morning? Maybe it'd help me focus better today."

Meta Knight appeared surprised for a brief second, then nodded his head, putting the letter away in his pockets.

"I would be happy to have you join me this morning, Kirby," he answered. "Good thinking. Shall we, then?"

And Kirby left the road with him, to head back to those wonderful flower fields, thinking that meditating with his mentor would surely bring him the time and wisdom he was looking for…


	7. Lost in Azure Oceans

**Fallen Stars: A New Age**

 **Act 1 - Chapter Seven: Lost In Azure Oceans**

It was a calm, sunny morning. The light of the sun was just peeking over the horizon, ready to shine down on Dreamland for what would be a beautiful day. However, not everything was calm and quiet this morning. Somewhere on the outskirts of town, one of the traps Galacta Knight put down suddenly activated; something had been caught!

Galacta Knight, who had been flying over the woods, looked down at the small screen attached to his belt and quickly pinpointed the specific trap on his map; he immediately changed direction and flapped his wings, gaining speed until he was zipping through the sky. At last! If he was lucky, it wouldn't just be a stray animal and he would have some sort of track, something, _anything_ at this point! He needed something to report to Sir Arthur, and soon.

And so, Galacta Knight flew over the fields surrounding the village and landed on a nearby road, upon which a cappy surrounded by his flock of sheep waited almost anxiously, trying to keep the sheep from wandering too far. Galacta walked toward the man, who exclaimed as he waved his arms in a panic:

"Sir Galacta Knight! There you are! I-I saw something in the fields, I don't know what it was, but it made a noise, and-and-"

"Now now, calm down," Galacta Knight lifted his hands to halt him. "Did you see what it looked like?"

"Um, it looked like a dog, kind of?" the shepherd hesitated, scratching his head. "I'm not sure, it just ran through the grass and chased after the sheep! I think it got caught in your trap though, it's over there! It's been yapping for a while, and the sheep are nervous about this…"

The man pointed in a specific direction, and Galacta Knight slightly bowed as thanks before advising to stay out here and walking out in the field. The closer he got to the location of the trap, the more he could hear the yelps he mentioned; such weird sounds…

It was like a mix of the purring hiss of a wild cat, the loud screech of a banshee and the bark of a dog. He had certainly heard that sound before… The trap he had set here was rustic, but useful; the fact that a simple hole, dug in the ground and camouflaged with leaves, bore results proved that old school hunting still, in fact, worked wonders. He couldn't wait to tell that bastard Falspar about this! That would certainly shut his face about his techniques!

When he walked over to the edge of the hole, he took a look inside… and his grin faded.

"…Nova… Are you… kidding me…"

Well, he wouldn't tell that part to Falspar.

* * *

Bun was outside this morning, stretching out and doing his morning runs around the castle courtyard. It was a good habit he had developed over the years and it usually gave him more energy for the day, but… lately, stress was starting to crawl up, making him feel a bit more loopy each morning. That whole story about demons and forces of darkness and evil was starting to come to him, and the fact that he had to keep quiet didn't help.

He was a good liar, that wasn't the problem; the problem actually was that he didn't like to lie to his best pal Kirby, at least, not when the stakes were so high. Maybe he should tell him… Sir Meta Knight would be mad, but… Kirby _needed_ to know, right? But Sword and Blade kept saying that it was better that he didn't know... They trusted Meta Knight's judgement; could Bun trust his judgement as well? Maybe he should wait then…

The train wreck that were his thoughts was interrupted when he heard a voice echo from the drawbridge, followed by strange noises that sounded like an angry bird screeching and chatting.

"Oy, come on now, stop wriggling! I know you don't like the muzzle, but I don't like bites either, so we're even."

He quickly turned around, lifting his bangs with a hand to better see what was coming. As he thought, it was Sir Galacta Knight, but he wasn't alone; he was holding something, an animal most likely, by the scruff, keeping it as far away from his face as possible. When he got closer and Bun could get a better look at the animal, his eyes widened, and he walked toward the knight, baffled.

"Hey lad!" Galacta greeted with a sign from his free hand. "Weather's nice this morning, huh?"

It was like he wasn't even holding a struggling little demon in his hand! He had to salute his composure. Bun leaned forward and took a closer look.

"Is that a Wolfwrath?" he asked, baffled.

Galacta smirked with a snort and lifted the little dog a bit higher.

"Yep! Cute little pupper, huh? There's nothing less dangerous than a puppy Wolfwrath, in case you didn't know. Wanna pet it?"

Oh, the pup was certainly cute, Bun couldn't argue with that. It was only a bit bigger than Galacta's hand; its fur was the colour of burning ashes, with splotches of dark coals and slashes of bright embers running along its sides and belly, marking its face with simple yet beautiful drawings reminiscent of a tiger's. The pup's bright eyes were a glowing yellow, shining like golden coins mirroring the light of the morning sun as it looked up at Bun, its snout stuck under a muzzle bound around its head tightly. Its claws and spikes were still tiny and round, rendering it completely defenceless.

"If it's so not dangerous," Bun said, "then why'd you muzzle it?"

"It may not look it, but this little guy likes to bite!" Galacta Knight answered with a chuckle. "You guys got many Wolfwraths around here?"

"Not that I know of," Bun mumbled, scratching his chin as he observed the little pup. "The last one I saw was back when Nightmare was still around, there was that one Wolfwrath that was after Sir Meta Knight, but Kirby defeated it. I didn't think there were others wandering around after that…"

"Little guy must have gotten lost," Galacta Knight tried to guess. "I imagine its mother is still around somewhere, and _that_ could be very dangerous. It might be what attacked the town, if I were to guess. An angered Wolfwrath can bring Hell on earth! Mind go tell that to Meta and your masters? I'll be showing this little guy to the king. If I can catch more than one demon-beast, I should have a good deal!"

"Heh," Bun chuckled as the knight started walking toward the main entrance. "Careful, Dedede is the greediest and cheapest penguin around!"

"I know my way around guys like him. Thanks for the tip!" Galacta waved his hand before vanishing inside with the whining puppy.

Bun was left with no other choice than to go back inside as well; if they could find that female Wolfwrath, maybe that whole story would just fade away, and the Agency wouldn't have their attention on them so much… He could only hope…

* * *

Meta Knight walked speedily through the halls of the castle, with his three apprentices in tow, each trying to keep up with his fast pace. None of them were saying anything, unsure of their lord's mood after hearing the news of the possible Wolfwrath threat; Sir Meta Knight was particularly touchy when it concerned this particular demon-beast. When they arrived at the king's throne room, they found the double doors to be open, and they could already hear Galacta discussing about doubling the reward price.

"It's quite simple, Your Majesty. You're currently paying the Agency for the capture and relocation of _one_ demon-beast, all classes confused. If there's two demons to catch, I'm afraid we'll have to up the price a bit, especially if we're talking about something as big as a Wolfwrath. After all, you know how dangerous these things are, correct?"

The king grumbled, and before he could say something more, Meta Knight entered the room, followed by Sword, Blade and Bun, and the large penguin waved over, exclaiming:

"You'd better not be here for a raise, Meta Knight! This guy's gonna ruin me!"

"Of course not, Your Majesty," Meta Knight said as he walked closer to stand near his cousin. "I just came to see this Wolfwrath for myself."

"Well, take a look," Galacta offered, extending a hand toward the scared pup laying on the ground in front of him. "Found this little pupper this morning in the outskirts of town, chasing sheep around. This little guy probably has his mother very concerned right now, don't you agree? It could be very dangerous for this town."

For a long moment, Meta Knight remained quiet and simply stared at the small dog; and to everyone's surprise, the puppy calmly lifted its head toward him, and stared back, without making a single noise. Meta Knight's thoughts were completely unreadable, and it was only after a long moment of thinking that he hummed, lightly.

"It's highly possible," he ended up saying. "He can't be older than a few weeks, so his mother must be somewhere, most likely lost in Whispy Woods."

"So ya'll think a pissed off dog did all this?" Dedede said with a dumbfounded look on his face. "I was expecting something bigger! Scarier! We've had bigger stuff attack Dreamland after all!"

"With all due respect, Your Majesty," Meta Knight spoke up, looking up toward his liege, "a 'pissed off dog' as you put so well is much more dangerous than you think. Remember what happened the last time a Wolfwrath went loose in the castle."

At these words, Dedede looked up and away, as if still convinced this old event wasn't his fault to begin with, and Meta Knight continued, bringing his attention back down at him.

"Frankly, Your Majesty, I am most terrible with Wolfwraths, as I'm sure you recall. It would be wise to pay the Agency for the capture of two demons. With Sir Galacta Knight's stunning hunting skills, I am sure the Wolfwrath mother will be found, and you will be free of this demon problem for good."

While the king groaned in exasperation at the idea of loosing his money, Galacta gave a shocked look at his cousin; he certainly wasn't expecting so much praise like this from him… How surprising!

"Alright, alright!" King Dedede exclaimed as he threw his arms up in abandonment. "I'll pay for two, but not until you catch the second one! I'm not giving away my money for something I ain't seen yet! Got it?"

Galacta then bowed down in a most thankful way, saying:

"Of course, Your Majesty! Thank you very much for your patience and trust in us."

"Yeah, yeah, sure," Dedede grumbled before looking down at the small dog and pointing at it. "What about that thing? You gonna do something about it?"

"I'll bring it to the Agency, of course," Galacta answered, but before he could add what they were going to do with it, Meta Knight interjected by saying, in a voice a bit louder than his:

"I will keep it."

Everyone was surprised to hear those words; Sword and Blade in particular. They all stared at him, and Sword even asked, in a quiet tone:

"Are you sure, Sir…?"

"Whatchu gonna do with that thing, Meta Knight?" the king questioned, as lost as everyone else. "Thought ya hated these things?"

"I still do," Meta Knight answered with a nod. "But this young Wolfwrath is completely harmless. With a little discipline, I can train it to be a good watch dog. It would only increase the protection of your castle, Your Highness."

They all looked down at the tiny creature; it was still glued to the ground like it was scared, but its tail was wagging wildly, as if it had heard and understood everything that was said. Its large and googly eyes were staring up at Meta Knight, even though its head was in between its front paws, as if waiting for when it would be allowed to stand.

"Huh," Dedede wondered aloud, scratching his chin as he imagined the possibilities and explored the thought of having a personal guard demon-beast at the castle that _actually_ listened to his orders. "That sounds great to me! Go ahead, do whatever you wanna do with that little guy, I'm sold. As for you," he continued, looking over to Galacta Knight, "I wanna see that mama Wolfwrath in one piece! Maybe she can be disciplined too if Meta Knight here can do it with a lil pupper."

"Have no fear, Your Majesty, I never kill my catch," Galacta Knight bowed again. "I'll do my best."

"Alright, great! Now ya'll can leave, my breakfast's comin'."

Just as they all turned to leave, a group of Waddle Dees chimed in, each carrying a plate filled with appetizing food. They all stayed away from the baby Wolfwrath, who remained glued to the ground, not knowing what to do. Meta Knight turned to look at it, and all he had to do was whistle; immediately, the Wolfwrath got excited and wagged its tail even more, waving its head around as it scrambled to stand up and run after the knight.

When everyone was outside and farther into the halls, Galacta Knight suddenly grabbed Meta Knight with one arm and hugged him from the side by wrapping a wing around his body; even though it only lasted for a few brief seconds, it was enough to make the stoic knight cringe and freeze with a small gasp.

"Thanks for the help, little cousin!" Galacta smirked widely as he hugged him tightly for a few seconds before quickly letting go, making the three other knights smirk and hold their laughs in. "I guess your boss values your opinion on stuff, that's something. Not so different from before, am I right?"

"Um, yes, of course," Meta Knight shook himself, not used to being hugged or even just touched this way. "Don't mention it."

"Um, Sir?" Blade asked from behind, making the two knights turn to him. "Are you really going to train this Wolfwrath?"

The pup demon-beast was literally glued to Meta Knight's foot, leaning on it as it sat on the ground, still wagging its tail. It looked with a curious look from Blade to Meta Knight as they both spoke. The knight bent down for a moment to quickly get the muzzle off of the pup's snout, and as soon as it was free it shook its head wildly, while its master straightened back up and gave the muzzle back to his cousin.

"Yes," Meta Knight answered him. "Is there a problem?"

"No, not at all!" Blade waved his hands innocently before scratching his head. "I just thought like the king, that you hated these demons…"

"My hate for one should not hinder my opinion of others," the knight responded calmly, casting one glance at the wolf pup. "Besides, I feel that this one is different, in a way. This should be interesting."

"I always knew you wanted a dog when we were kids," Galacta commented with a snicker, "but I never thought you'd want to keep a _Wolfwrath_ as one. Oh well, good luck! I got a mama wolf to find. If there's even one to start with. I haven't seen even one trace of a Wolfwrath's presence in the woods…"

He started to leave, but he briefly turned around as he did, calling back:

"Don't forget to find a name for it! And _try_ to be original, please. I still remember the fish you called Fishy!"

He waved his hand one last time before turning in an adjacent hallway and disappearing. Meta Knight looked down at the pup, and it looked up at him happily.

"I'm just gonna say," Bun started, "this pup is the cutest thing I've ever seen. Nova, my heart can't take it!"

Blade bursted out laughing at Bun's statement and slapped him on the back, and even Meta Knight, under his mask, smirked in amusement. He had to admit; it _was_ cute. Maybe it could replace the dog he never had as a kid, indeed.

* * *

This morning, when he arrived at the usual spot, Kirby was fairly surprised to see that he had arrived before Meta Knight; usually, it was the opposite. While he was alone, he took this moment to think. He was supposed to ask Meta Knight about Zero, to know more about this being and ask the questions that Kabu wouldn't answer, but… Kirby didn't know how to bring it up, be it casually or seriously. His head was loopy, and he was so tired; he hadn't slept a wink last night. Another nightmare… Now he wasn't afraid of calling it that.

Star Warriors weren't supposed to have nightmares; that was what Meta Knight had said. But if Zero was sending him these dreams, then surely there was some kind of message inside; but Kirby could barely remember them in the morning, only bits and pieces where a thousand eyes stared at him and laughed. How he hated that laugh… He could hear it still, even now, and if he closed his eyes, he could see _these_ eyes, staring back again…

Kirby laid in the flowers for a long time, wondering about the dreams, wondering about Zero, wondering about Meta Knight, and wondering about himself… when a sudden, happy bark brought him out of that darkness that ate away at his young mind. He straightened up, just in time to see a happy little dog run toward him at full speed; well, as much a full speed as a little puppy could, with his tiny legs. Before the puppy could catch up to him, Kirby had all the time in the world to take in its adorableness; and by Nova, was it adorable!

The little thing finally ran up to him and began to play around, jumping everywhere it could and bringing Kirby along in its excitement. The young boy jumped to his feet, and with a wide smile jumped around with the puppy, making it even more excited and playful.

"Who's a good pupper?" Kirby asked in a playful tone when he finally caught the pup on its back to rub it on its belly. "Who's a good pupper?! It's you!"

The pup rolled back on its feet and ran in circles around Kirby, making him laugh whole-heartedly, but he turned when he heard a familiar voice say, with an amused tone:

"I see you two are already getting along."

Meta Knight finally caught up to them, wrapped in his cape as per usual, and Kirby smiled widely at him while the small dog ran back to the knight, still excited.

"This little guy is so cute!" Kirby exclaimed. "Where did you find it?"

"Galacta Knight caught it this morning," the knight explained as he extended a hand to the dog so it could jump and latch on to his glove. "It is likely that it is this young one's mother who attacked the town and your friend Dyno, so he will do his best to catch her."

Kirby's eyes widened. Had a track finally been found?!

"So, wait," he looked down at the pup, who now laid in the flowers happily, its tongue hanging out of its snout. "This little guy's a demon-beast?!"

"Yes," Meta Knight nodded. "It may not look it much as it is now, but this is an infant Wolfwrath. I decided to keep this one… as a pet, shall we say."

Kirby looked at him. Meta Knight. Brave veteran Star Warrior of the GSA, stoic high ranking knight with no match found in the whole Universe, wielder of Galaxia and master swordsman. With a pet puppy. This was priceless, and Kirby loved it. The pup ran up to Kirby and forced its head in his hands, making him instinctively hug it close.

"A pet, huh? Does he have a name?" he asked, petting the wolf around its already fluffy and almost downy neck.

"Um," Meta Knight hesitated, "no, not yet. I was thinking maybe you could help with that. You seem to have a hand with animals, and I have to admit, I am not good with naming them. What name do you think this little one should have? It's a male."

Kirby looked down at the young wolf, and the first name that came to his mind was Ember, to fit the colour of its fur and stripes… but then he took a closer look… and saw something… poking out of the fur of its head… It was a stone gem, although still small and unpolished. He briefly remembered that, indeed, adult Wolfwraths _did_ have a gem on their forehead. Moving the fur away with his hand, Kirby saw the full small stone, just barely coming out of its head, and saw its beautiful deep blue colour shine in the morning light like it held the deepest ocean inside its crystal walls. It made him smile.

"How about… Azure?"

For a long moment after he spoke those words, Kirby heard no answer from Meta Knight. He looked up at him, thinking that he hadn't heard him, but instead found he had completely spaced out. His eyes were a nostalgic light blue…

"It would fit the stone on his head," Kirby added, bringing the knight back to the present in an instant.

"Yes," Meta Knight nodded his head. "Azure does fit him nicely."

Kirby smiled, and he imagined, by the look the knight sent him, that he was smiling back… but then the thought of Zero crept back up, without warning and without him searching to think about it, like a nagging bug crawling up his back. His smirk turned into a slight grimace, but only for a fraction of a second, and he immediately looked back down at Azure, telling him:

"Did you hear that? Your name is Azure now! Do you like it? Ah-zure!"

The pup gave a tiny bark; it seemed to agree to that name. When Meta Knight walked past him, Kirby looked up as the knight said:

"Alright now, I suppose Azure will join us today. Shall we start? I have another training method I would like to try out, if you don't mind. It might make things easier for you."

Kirby stood up, and Azure ran after the knight, his master.

"Yes Sir!"

* * *

The new training method was actually _much_ harder than he had first thought it would be. Kirby was asked to climb the only tree in the meadow and balance at the top; simple. Now, that wasn't the first time Meta Knight asked him to do this sort of balancing training as he had already done so in the past years – oh, the memories of standing still on the tip of his foot at the very top of a metal pole in the middle of a running river! The problem now wasn't to stand still; it was to stand still, while balancing on one foot, while holding a knife in each hand, with his eyes closed, and desperately trying to focus on the nature of these very objects.

'It might make things easier for you.'

 _Garbage._

The sun was beating down on him at the top of this tree, and he could already feel beads of sweat roll down his sides and forehead. He did his best to keep his eyelids closed, but he had to force them shut, for behind them, he could still see the outlines of shadows, burned in his eyes and staring and laughing at his poor attempts, always taunting him, never allowing him to-

He gasped out when he suddenly lost his balance, and he had to wave his arms wildly to try and straighten himself, but he only managed to throw the knives away and fall right off of the branch he was perched on. Without any other warning, Kirby went right through all the other branches with a loud, surprised yell, and his face harshly met with the ground with a rather light _thump_ , only to bounce right onto his back a few feet away, where he laid completely still for a long moment, eyes shut tightly.

Meta Knight, who had been sitting under the shade of the tree with Azure tucked in the folds of his cape, looked down at him, as if unfazed by this fall; after all, it wasn't the first time he was seeing Kirby fall off during such an exercise. Maybe the river would have been better; the water made for a softer though colder landing.

"You fell."

Kirby's eyes snapped open.

" _Yeah._ I noticed."

Azure's happy little face then popped in his field of vision, and it immediately made him feel much better. The young Wolfwrath started licking his face, making him laugh out loud whole-heartedly; he couldn't say no to such a pure little face! He had straightened up to hold the little pup in his arms when Meta Knight's voice spoke up; in a somewhat… soothing way. What a strange tone to hear…

"Something is troubling you, Kirby."

He looked back at the knight, but didn't say anything; instead, he just shrugged his shoulders. Meta Knight was still sitting against the tree; Kirby just now noticed that his shoulder pads were off and that he only had his cape loosely wrapped around his shoulders. Even Galaxia was leaning against the trunk in her scabbard. The knight's eyes glowed kindly in the shade of the tree, and Kirby could swear he could read his thoughts…

"There is a reason I wanted you to try this training method," the older Star Warrior continued in a somewhat more serious yet still tender tone. "Back when I was young and still training to join the military, I used to meditate a lot this way, perched on top of a pole, practicing my balance. I found that it helped me soothe my troubled young mind, and when my fears and worries were too much to handle, it would show in my performance. Lack of focus, lack of balance, impatience…"

Kirby looked away. He knew where he was going with this…

"What I see before me," Meta Knight said, "is exactly what I once was. If something is troubling your mind, Kirby, then you will never be able to get past the first phase of this training. If you won't speak up about it, then I cannot help you. Do you understand, Kirby?"

Without a word, the young pupil nodded his head. He understood perfectly… For a long moment, they both remained silent, as if the knight was waiting for him to speak, but Kirby couldn't make up his mind. He couldn't possibly tell him about the dreams. He would be worried for nothing! But… maybe it would be the best time to ask him about Zero… Maybe it would at least ease his mind a little bit… After a long moment, he looked back up at his mentor, and he hoped that his tiredness wasn't showing on his face. He held Azure in his arms as the little pup made himself comfortable on his large foot, and had to lick his lips before talking.

"Um," he hesitated, searching for his words. "Well… I guess there _is_ something I wanted to ask you about…"

"Then go ahead," Meta Knight answered. "Ask me."

Kirby breathed out.

"Alright, uhm… Look, you remember this conversation we had the other day about demon-beasts and classes and all that stuff?"

He waited for the knight to nod, and he continued.

"Well, you told me to go see my Warp Star or Kabu, so… I did just that. And uh… Kabu told me about this… thing… uhm…"

He didn't really want to say his name; just that name was enough to give him shivers…

"Zero," Meta Knight spoke up, taking him by surprise.

Kirby looked back up at him, and saw that his gaze was now a deep, emerald and raw green, without any glowing and warmth. With a gulp, Kirby nodded his head.

"Yeah… This guy. He didn't tell me much about him, and uhm… well, I've been wondering if you could tell me more."

Before the knight's silence, Kirby turned his body more toward him and insisted:

"I really need to know, Meta Knight! If there's this huge threat coming our way, I need to know about it and get to work! Can't you tell me? Who is this guy – if it's even a guy – and what does he want?"

For a long time, the knight remained quiet, but he eventually gave a sigh, and his eyes reverted to glowing amber. He looked at the sky, through the leaves of the tree, and spoke calmly, slowly.

"Listen carefully, Kirby. Zero… isn't like Nightmare. It is not a person you can interact with, someone you can agree or disagree with. This being is best described as an agglomeration of darkness. It acts as a magnet to all that revolves around dark energy; be it anger, fear, anxiety, or sadness. All of these things, these negative feelings, when left to grow, merge together in the dark, and they become what we've come to call Dark Matter. These beings live in the dark, on a different plane than us; a different dimension, if you will. From here, the negativity of our world, in all of its varying forms, leak into their realm, and they grow from it. The darker our world becomes, the stronger the Dark Matter become. And that is where Star Warriors come in."

The knight looked back down at him and extended a hand toward his pupil, then to himself, saying:

"Beings like you and I are made of the light given by the stars. With their blessing, we face against the rising darkness, and help keep balance in all the Universes, as I believe I've already told you in our History lessons. Star Warriors must always be prepared. Nightmare was defeated, and the Dream Wars came to an end. Now, a new age has started, and the Dark Matter are rising once more, because the balance that Nightmare held is broken."

Kirby's eyes widened; Dark Matter…? He remembered… briefly reading about this subject, a long time ago, in one History book he had to go through in his studies… Why didn't he look more into that?! He wouldn't be so lost now! Without a warning, Kirby stood up on his feet, forcing Azure back on his short legs with a yelp of surprise, and he loudly exclaimed:

"If Dark Matter are growing then I gotta get to work right now! I gotta find this Zero and stop this before there's trouble! Just like I did with Nightmare!"

However, before he could go on more idiocities, Meta Knight lifted a hand to bring silence and he spoke up, loud and clear.

"You will do no such thing, Kirby of the Stars."

That sentence alone froze the youngster to the bone, and he could only stare at his teacher in shock as he stared him down, eyes colder than ice. He _never_ used his full name… To his surprise, Meta Knight stood up; holding himself with a hand on the tree, the knight heaved a bit as he stood on his feet, and he slowly walked toward him, in a strange way that only made Kirby arch his eyebrows in worry. The knight stood in front of him, his cold gaze so close he could feel the frost of the ice… but also the warmth of the fire, hidden deep within those golden irises…

"I will say this only once," Meta Knight spoke. "You are not ready to face Zero yet. Your heart is too weak, too inexperienced; you would only crumble like a leaf under a foot."

Those words were definitely stabs at the heart of Kirby's ego, at the heart of Nightmare's Destroyer's pride, but he kept dead quiet and listened carefully, feeling his jaw tighten suddenly.

"Let _me_ handle the Dark Matter, Kirby," his teacher continued, to his shock. "Let me do my job as a Star Warrior, and let me continue to be your teacher, until you are ready. Until you've mastered all four phases of this training, I refuse to deem you ready to face such an important threat. The Dark Matter are a much greater force that is not to be trifled with. Am I clear, Kirby?"

Now, Kirby's interest rose in a peak; Meta Knight, handling the Dark Matter…? Doing his job as a Star Warrior? What could he possibly mean by that? Nevertheless, the young boy didn't loose time in nodding his head, saying in a weaker voice than he anticipated:

"Y-yes Sir!"

Meta Knight nodded back, said:

"Good. I am glad you understand."

And without another word, turned and walked back to his place under the tree. But before he could reach it, Kirby blurted the first words he could think of, stopping him in his tracks immediately as he asked:

"Is this why you're sick? Is that whole deal of 'doing your job' the reason you've been sicker than ever lately?"

Meta Knight didn't respond, and Kirby only spoke more, faster and faster. Why was his heart beating so fast? So loudly?!

"Because Kabu told me you'd get sicker and sicker, and he told me you'd die because of it, a-and of course he's wrong, I know he's wrong, but still, I'm still worried about you, b-because you're-"

He was suddenly cut off in his rambling when his mentor began coughing – and very badly at that – and when the knight lurched forward and held himself against the tree, both Kirby and Azure shot toward him in a moment's notice. Kirby went to his side and kindly put a hand on his back as the knight's coughing fit continued, and he was shocked when he saw the faint flash of red appear on his glove as he coughed, but luckily for the knight, the fit ended rather quickly. But it was at that moment that it occurred to Kirby just how exhausted and shaky his teacher was…

Kirby promptly helped him sit down against the tree, and Meta Knight sighed deeply when he put his back against the trunk, closing his eyes for a few seconds. Azure went to put his head in the knight's hand, only to have it lift to warmly rest on the pup's head, making him settle down with a whine. After a moment, Meta Knight's eyes opened and he looked at Kirby, eyes tired and kind, and he gestured to his pupil to sit down, which he did without complaint.

"What's this 'job' you've been doing…?" Kirby finally asked, to which Meta Knight slowly nodded his head.

"Listen carefully, Kirby," he started in a low and calm voice. "I should have told you all of this sooner… I hope you will understand."

He paused briefly to collect his thoughts, and he started to speak, as if about to tell a great tale.

"It all started about ten years ago, merely two years after Nightmare was defeated. I had a dream; a nightmare, to be more precise. The signs in it were clear; after the shockwave that was Nightmare's disappearance from the balance, the ripples had reached far enough to reach all the differing dimensions. Inside one of these, Zero was awakening. Sir Arthur and the other Star Warriors confirmed this, there were many sightings of Dark Matter on many corners of the main galaxies, and we feared they were looking for the one who had vanquished Nightmare; you. I feared the Dark Matter would find Popstar and come for you. You were too young and inexperienced, you still are, you needed proper training, but, more than anything else, time. Time that _I_ could provide."

"But… how?" Kirby asked, confused. "How were you able to buy time…?"

"Dark Matter are drawn to dreams like moths to a candle," Meta Knight spoke. "They come at night, when people sleep and dream, and turn these dreams into nightmares, and the more people experience these nightmares, the darker their thoughts turn, and the stronger the Dark Matter become. It's one of many reported methods used by these creatures to invade a pure world; corrupt it one dream at a time. A cruel but effective method. When I realized that, I dug up my old powers as a Star Warrior and used it against them. I may be scarred from the war and I may find contentment in being your teacher, I still like to believe that a light remains inside me… much like yours."

Kirby noticed a small pause after this sentence; the knight's gaze moved downward, as if wondering if he should have said that, but only briefly, and he continued speaking right after.

"With what little light I might have, my powers cover Popstar like a shroud, hiding it from the Dark Matter's view. Think of it like a shield you cannot see; a mind battle, so to speak. Every night, I meditate to keep them at bay. I do it only when you sleep, Kirby, because _you_ are the target here. Was I clear enough?"

Kirby was truly apalled. Meta Knight had been doing this?! For all this time? Meta Knight had been caught in a mind battle against a huge enemy and he hadn't noticed a single thing?! How could he?! With so many questions at the tip of his tongue, the first question he blurted out was:

"B-but for how long have you been doing this?! You do that every night?!"

The knight nodded, quite simply.

"Every night, for the last ten years or so. Do not worry, I do get some sleep, otherwise I wouldn't have lasted the first month. It wouldn't have been practical to tire myself out, now would it?"

To his surprise, Meta Knight chuckled at his own joke, but Kirby couldn't find the strength to laugh back, not in this situation. He rubbed his temples, trying to piece it all together.

"But… But why?" he asked, baffled beyond words. "Why do you do all that just for me? Why not let the Dark Matter come and let me do my thing like with Nightmare's demon-beasts? You didn't have any problem letting _me_ handle these monsters, so why not this time?"

At this moment, Meta Knight's eyes became warmer, to a point Kirby could almost see through them; he could almost feel it, this… love… speaking to him through veils of mixed feelings and emotions…

When Meta Knight spoke, a crack appeared in the wall that stood between them.

"I want to protect you, Kirby, because I care about you."

Kirby's eyes widened, and though his heart began beating louder in his chest, he felt calmer, as if his words had soothed him down to his soul… He needed to hear those words, more than he thought he did… At this very moment, Kirby did not care about the Dark Matter. He didn't care about Zero, or this mind battle, or this whole affair. Meta Knight actually cared for him…

"When you first arrived," Meta Knight continued, "and you took down your first demon-beast, I had no doubt afterward that you wouldn't have any problem with the rest of them. With the proper tools, you always managed by yourself, but there always comes a time when you can no longer do things yourself. This is something you must understand. This time has come, Kirby."

The knight gave a pause, during which he gave a sigh and lightly shook his head, as if to prevent him from saying anything else.

"I do not believe you are ready to face Zero, or the Dark Matter. At least, not yet. Their darkness is on another level, one you are not accustomed to and one you could easily loose yourself into. Compared to them, Nightmare was but an everyday villain. If you fall, Kirby, then the Universe doesn't stand a chance. And so, until you are done with your training, I will shield you to the best of my abilities. And that, even if I have to become sick. This is only a minor setback compared to what could really happen if I let them into Popstar. Do you understand, Kirby?"

Although the young boy wanted to protest against this method of doing things, although he wanted to scream at him at how wrong he was to disbelieve him, although he wanted to run ahead and hug this man with all his might, he quickly realized that he would never be able to talk the knight out of it. His mind seemed to be set in stone, and he seemed ready to protect him until the end, no matter what he said. That thought alone sparked a light inside him; one that made him stand up suddenly; one that shone brightly in his eyes as he looked down at his mentor, tired from sickness, tired from so many sleepless nights from protecting him and this land from invasion. Truly, the man he was looking at was the real hero here, _and nobody knew it_.

"Yeah, I get it. Then I guess I'd better be done with this training as quick as I can! If I do that, you won't have to endure all that anymore, and you won't be sick. Then I'll be able to beat this Zero guy to a pulp! Easy!"

The knight heaved a mix of a heavy sigh with a chuckle, shaking his head slowly.

"I suppose so," he agreed.

Kirby stared at him, a smirk at the corner of his lips; he hadn't told him about his nightmares, he hadn't told him the Dark Matter had gone through his defences, and he couldn't take it upon himself to break his teacher's hopes. Maybe those dreams weren't even from the Dark Matter; they could just be signs, sent from the stars! Yes, it was a possibility! After all, Meta Knight had received such a dream, maybe he just needed to focus more on what they meant and they would leave him alone! Nothing to worry about. Everything was going as the knight had planned, and that was what counted the most. Before he climbed the tree again to continue his training, Kirby paused… Maybe he could at least let him know how grateful he was… in a way that wouldn't be as awkward…

"…Meta Knight?"

"Mmh?"

"I care about you too. Thanks for everything… really. I'll make up for it, I swear. Just watch me, I'll master those Combined Abilities in a jiffy!"

And without another word, the boy picked up both knives, and promptly climbed the tree, leaving a shocked, old knight sitting in its shade… while his eyes briefly shone a bright blue.


	8. Ruins

**Fallen Stars: A New Age**

 **Act 1 - Chapter Eight: Ruins**

This morning, the Captain of the royal guard went to see his monarch for his weekly report. It was a rather enjoyable morning, with a warm sun already on the horizon and a bright, cloudless sky above their heads. On mornings like these, the king liked to eat breakfast outside, and so the knight found him on one of his balconies, eating away at his buffet while an army of Waddle Dee servants scurried around bringing more food and installing a parasol over the table and the king. Meta Knight appeared through the entrance, making King Dedede lift his head with his mouth completely full.

"Mh-oh, hey there Meta Knight," Dedede waved his hand nonchalantly.

"Good morning, Your Majesty," the knight greeted with a nod, tightening his grip on his cape a little bit. "I am here for my weekly report on Kirby."

"Oh yeah!" Dedede quickly swallowed the incredible amount of food he had managed to stuff in his mouth and gestured him to go on with another wave of his hand, saying: "Go ahead, what's up with pipsqueak?"

Meta Knight stood completely still, even as Waddle Dees maneuvered around him to bring plates in and out, and gave his liege his full attention.

"Kirby is doing well, Your Majesty. He has yet to master the first phase of his training, but I do not expect him to until at least a few months. However, he has made notable progress in all other domains, which is nothing to sneeze at if I do say so myself. It should be noted that I have yet to notice anything odd in his behaviour like you suggested, Your Majesty."

"Really?" Dedede replied, as if surprised. "Really nothin'?"

"I am afraid not, Your Highness," Meta Knight shook his head. "Kirby is as normal as ever, if only a little more determined to succeed than usual. Perhaps if I had a better idea of what you wanted me to look out for, I would see it better."

"Oh, come on, Meta Knight!" the king sighed in an exaggerated manner. "Wasn't I clear enough?"

Before his captain's silence, the king sighed again and took a glass of juice in hand, answering:

"I jus' think Kirby's actin' pretty weird, like whenever I see 'im the squirt's just spacing out like he ain't even there. You ain't seen anythin' like that? It's like it's not even 'im!"

Meta Knight remained quiet a moment, casting his eyes down as if trying to remember a time he would have seen Kirby in such a state, but he ended up shaking his head, replying:

"I apologize, Your Majesty, but I haven't seen anything of the sort. I will keep an eye out, and I will bring my conclusion in my next report. Is there anything else I can do for you?"

The king only shook his head and dove right back in his food, and Meta Knight took it as a sign that he was relieved, so the knight turned back and left, as quietly as he had arrived. Inside, Azure was sitting down near the entrance, and when his master walked past, the little pup hurried to his floppy little paws and wobbled after him, letting out a happy little bark as he did.

What a strange task this was, to look after Kirby on the king's behalf, Meta Knight thought to himself. He was used to be asked to spy on the young warrior back in the day, and even to team up with the king _against_ Kirby, but as the years went by, it was almost like the king was getting used to the young puff, to the point where – dare he say it – he actually cared for the puff's well-being. Perhaps King Dedede had another reason to care, perhaps a more selfish reason, but it was not Meta Knight's job – or interest – to care about such things. His king was a strange person, indeed, but who wasn't strange in this place?

Meta Knight's train of thoughts was interrupted when he heard someone call his name when he turned the corner, and he turned to see old Escargon, sliding toward him with a dark feel about his face. The snail carefully looked down the corridor to see if anyone else was there, and Meta Knight immediately got a bad feeling about this.

"Is something the matter, Your Excellency?" he asked him.

Escargon frowned, and spoke very softly, as if he was afraid someone else might hear him.

"We gotta talk, Meta Knight. It's about His Majesty…"

Again, he looked both sides, and he leaned in a bit closer, making the knight lean forward as well to hear what he had to say.

"Lately, I've been catching him talking alone in the throne room. Well, not entirely alone, someone answers him, but there's no one with him when he leaves."

The knight's eyes squinted; this didn't bode well at all.

"Can you describe the voice to me?" he asked in a soft voice.

"Well, it's a young man's voice, with a foreign accent," the snail answered. "He always sounds really happy and he's always laughing with the king. He seems like a jolly good guy, but it doesn't change the fact that he's nowhere to be seen, you see what I mean? I searched the throne room, you know, but I found nothing, not even a sign that someone else was there."

The captain knight hummed softly, trying to think of an individual who could match such a description, but couldn't in the immediate time. He nodded his head, saying:

"I see. Did you understand what that individual and the king were talking about?"

"Not really, I always arrive in the middle of their conversation, and from what I've heard, they're just talking casually, like they're old friends or something. I'm just worried for the king, you know… Ugh, I'm getting too old for this…"

"Worry not, Your Excellency. Next time it happens, come see me immediately, or ask Sword or Blade to come get me. I will see into it."

"Got it," Escargon agreed with a nod, brushing his eyebrow. "Thank you, Meta Knight…"

Without another word, the old snail left the corridor, leaving the knight alone with his pet demon-beast, to whom the knight called before leaving as well. Here was something else he had to worry about… As if he needed more than he already had on his hands…

* * *

Kirby had never realized how… quiet Whispy Woods was in the early morning. Alone, he slowly walked along the dirt road, listening to the soft songs of the morning birds. They flew from tree to tree above and around him, and he smiled as he looked up at them, strange thoughts running through his sleepy mind. He wondered how it would be like to have wings and fly like Sir Galacta Knight; surely the knight must feel as free as those birds… The thought of flying freely without using an ability made him dream. It would be so great!

But, as nice as that thought was, he wasn't here to dream. He was here to find a special type of herbs, but he wasn't sure where to look. He glanced down at the herbology book he held in his arms, a book he had taken from the castle's library; it depicted a small patch of very small leaves, each shaped like a cute heart. What he was looking for however was the flower this small plant produced; a tiny, purple flower that should smell and taste like honey. The bud of that flower was supposed to be a very strong medicine that could help with all sorts of stuff when treated the right way.

He had looked at the herbalist and even at Yabui's place, but none of them had anything like what he was looking for. They mostly had herbs and medicine for colds and injuries, but nothing as strong as what Kirby wanted, so he ventured out to find the flower himself. But until now, he had no luck… Maybe if he went farther into the woods he would have better luck and more variety, but there was also the thought that a demon-beast could be lurking out here… Oh well, he told himself. He was Kirby of the stars! This was everyday stuff for him!

With his eyes glued to the ground and searching every nook and cranny, Kirby wandered for a long time in search of the plant, and eventually, when he raised his eyes, he found himself in uncharted territory. He was used to getting lost in Whispy Woods by now, so he wasn't worried. He could hear a river nearby, so the young teen walked in that direction, thinking there would probably be more types of flowers near the water. But as he wandered and searched by the riverside and listened to its serene flow, he still had no luck, and was left standing there, staring at the water with a defeated look. He sat down in the grass, setting the book down as he heaved a deep sigh, and didn't move for a while. He felt very heavy…

Another nightmare had plagued him this night, and now that he knew why, it only made him feel even more bad. He couldn't do anything to make them stop, but he couldn't bring himself to tell Meta Knight about it… After all, his mentor was working so hard to keep him safe… The teen couldn't fully grasp just how grateful he was, nor could he fully express it, but if he could find a way to stop these nightmares so he wouldn't have to break his mentor's hopes, he would do anything.

But, right now, there was something else he really needed to do something about; and that was Meta Knight's sickness. If his teacher couldn't sleep full nights because of him, Kirby could at least do something so he wouldn't feel ill, and that flower was the solution. If he could feel better, Kirby himself would feel better! The day before, when they had gone to eat at Kawasaki's for dinner, they had to stop two times so he could go through pretty bad coughing fits. Kirby had never been so scared for the knight, and even though the elder brushed it off as nothing afterward and still went to dinner, Kirby had sworn to himself that he would do something to help.

The young warrior leaned back a bit on his hands and closed his eyes. He didn't want to complain that he was tired, because he knew his teacher was going through worse, but he couldn't lie to himself; those nightmares were starting to pile up on his already exhausted mind… It felt like hands were continually scratching against his brain, trying to grab at his soul and mind…

"Hey Kirby! What are you doing here?"

Surprised, the teen Kiridan opened his eyes and turned to see a familiar face. He smiled.

"Hey Rick!"

The hamster waddled over to him, wiggling his tiny nose as he smelled the book sitting next to his friend.

"What's that?" the animal asked, and that alone brought a thought to Kirby, making his smile grow.

He took the book and opened it to the marked page, saying:

"It's a book about plants. Actually, you think you could help me with something? I'm looking for this plant in particular…"

The hamster looked at the picture of the flower and its leaves, and he seemed to search his memories for a moment. Then, a light flashed in his eyes and he lifted a paw, exclaiming:

"Oh! Yeah, I know where to find those! Come with me, I'll show you."

And with a relieved smile, Kirby grabbed the book, hurried to his feet and followed behind his friend; finally, he would be able to do something! Victory!

* * *

Later this morning, when Kirby had done everything that the book told him to to make the perfect mixture with the flowers, he took the pot containing the medicine and ran over to the training meadow. All he needed to do was heat it up with the Fire ability, and serve it as tea. Luckily Meta Knight wouldn't notice it was something too different; well, if it didn't taste as horrible as most herbal medicines did… Since his mentor wasn't at the training meadow yet, Kirby quickly set up a tiny bonfire which he lit up with a quick Fire breath, and he put the pot over the embers. He watched it heat up in silence for a moment, until he heard familiar barks and yelps coming from far behind. Turning around, he smiled when he saw Azure run down the hill toward him, and he waved over to his teacher, who, he clearly noticed, was walking awfully slow…

When Azure reached the small Star Warrior, the Wolfwrath pup tried to stuff his fireproof head in the bonfire, but fearing that he would accidentally push the pot aside, Kirby had to pull him back, calling:

"No no, Azure! Wait until it's done, then you'll have the fire. But not before!"

With a whine and a tiny, adorable howl, the small pup plumped down in the grass and watched the fire crackle, licking his black lips hungrily.

"Good morning, Kirby," Meta Knight greeted when he joined them. "Are you cooking something?"

"I'm making tea for you, Sir!" Kirby replied with a wide, honest smile. "I figured I needed to thank you for all the stuff you're doing."

"Why, thank you, Kirby," the knight answered with a pleasantly surprised tone before leaning over the pot curiously to see inside it.

He made no comment on the purple flowers boiling in the water; maybe he knew what they were, or he was just waiting to see what they tasted like. After all, if Kirby was sure of one thing, it was that Meta Knight loved tea, and he wouldn't pass an opportunity to taste something new. Now that he knew where to find the flowers, Kirby could make him tea whenever he wanted, so he could see the results over time.

When the concoction was finally ready to serve, Kirby poured some into his mentor's cup, and as to not seem too suspicious, he poured himself some too, but considerably less. As soon as the pot came off of the fire, Azure quickly took one of the small logs in his mouth and began to lick at the embers, wagging his short tail happily as he did. Kirby watched intently while Meta Knight lifted the cup to his visor, apparently blowing some air to cool it down a bit, and he held his breath as the knight took the first taste. For a moment, Meta Knight didn't say anything, and Kirby was afraid that it tasted horrible, but his teacher then nodded his head approvingly and said:

"This is good. I didn't know you knew I liked honey in my tea."

Kirby's face immediately cooled down and he smiled with a relieved sigh, replying with a laugh:

"Yeah, well, lucky guess I suppose! I'm glad you like it!"

Now that his curiosity was poked at, he took a taste of his own cup; it really did taste like honey! The book did say the flowers tasted like honey, so it was a good thing the taste followed suit when boiled into tea. Now, at least, he knew Meta Knight wouldn't complain if he made more in the future, and that was exactly as Kirby had planned. Now, to see whether the medicine made any effect or not… He would need to be patient indeed.

* * *

This… place… was vast. Vast was the only word he could think of, yet he knew that, behind it, hid a thousand more words he could use to define this place.

Non-existent.

Tiny.

Big.

Large.

Infinite.

It spread around him, above and below, front and back, left and right, and no matter where he looked, a light responded to him, along with a thousand others, all mingling together to create everything and nothing, to create all that he knew and all that he had yet to know. This Universe was vast, and he was its center. It followed him in arcs of light matter, specks of starry dust that faded into him like a core pulling everything into its being as he drifted, lost, unsure of where to go.

In his hand, he could feel… a knife.

He looked down at it, and confirmed; it was indeed a knife.

Its sharp end glinted in the light of a passing memory, and the laughs of this souvenir echoed past him, and he looked up to see a thousand more memories.

Here he was laughing; here he was playing; here he was eating, and here he was sleeping. Here he was fighting; here he was crying; here he was screaming, and here he was destroying. Memories of friends, of demons, of allies, of enemies, all flashing before him, and the knife became but a dull feeling in his hand, a numbness he should forget.

Then, another memory arrived; in the corner of his eye, he almost missed it, it was so tiny, so faded, so lost in dust…

He saw himself, standing before the broken and mossy remains of a Kabu, in a thick and dark wooded meadow. Small lights and insects danced around him and the sounds he could hear were enchanting, like the scene came right out of a fairy tale. As lovely as the scene was, however… he didn't know where it came from. He remembered it, it was a memory, _his_ memory, and he was standing there, in front of this Kabu, a little lost boy, but he couldn't remember the circumstances, the why and the where and the-

The him from the memory moved; he turned around and faced him, as if he knew he was being watched. He pointed forward; at first, he thought he was pointing at him, but the memory was pointing past him. The center of this Universe turned around, away from this odd souvenir, and saw that the knife he had been holding had left his grasp, and was now floating, drifting away, surrounded in a bubble that reflected all the stars around them. It drifted off on a pathway of stars, and he panicked for a moment; not again!

Not this time!

And he forced his being to go after it, by any means necessary, he couldn't let it leave his sight, not once, or else he would need to start over, or else he would disappoint again, or else he would cease to be!

He needed to see where it went!

He needed to _know_ where it went!

He needed it to defeat Zero!

And he sprung forward, following the weapon in uncharted territory. A new Universe spread around him, the same but different, with new spaces and new stars and new memories, all the same but different, all the same but new, and not once did he allowed his eyes to stray away from that knife, not once did he let his curiosity make him look away, not once did he respond to the memories calling him. The pathway lit up before him and under him, like a road paved with stones of stars, and the more he went, the more focussed he was, the more he could see, yes, he could see, the knife, blending before his very eyes, dissipating in a bright and glorious light, engulfing him and teaching him; the pathway.

The path he had been looking for-

The pathway all of his abilities took-

It was here-

It had been hiding here-

And it was now etched onto his mind.

Here came all of the objects to be transformed, and here his mind came all by itself, every time he absorbed an ability, to be transformed as well with the essence of the object. Every time, the process happened so fast, in a fraction of a second, and right now, he was privy to the full scene.

Here, the light of the transformed knife took over him, engulfing him in a bright blanket of light, and he was sent back onto the path so suddenly and at such a furious speed that he yelled as loud as he could, as happily as he could-

And Kirby's consciousness was sent right back into his body, and he fell off of the branch upon which he stood, screaming:

"I got it! I GOT I- AAAH-"

And he fell face first into the grass down below with a soft _thud_ , and laid there, his body trembling with his laughs. He looked up at Meta Knight, who sat under the tree as usual, and beamed at his mentor, eyes shining with pride and face red from the fall.

"I did it! I saw it!" he laughed, overjoyed. "I know the path my abilities take!"

At first, the knight only stared back, eyes unreadable, but then they became warm, and he stood up as an overly excited Azure wobbled over to Kirby, barking excitedly.

"Excellent work, Kirby," the knight praised humbly. "You are now ready for the second phase of your training."

* * *

What a lovely town Pupu Village was, Galacta thought cheerfully as he flew over the houses. He let the wind carry him on this particularly breezy day, feeling quite content as the warm rays of the sun above him on this cloudless sky shone down on his back. The feeling of the wind going through his feathers was so pleasant after a night of prowling through the thick darkness that was Whispy Woods. He had searched the whole forest, but he had yet to find anything in relation to the Wolfwrath mother. He needed to delve even deeper into the woods, but he was reluctant to leave the town for too long. There was no evident sign of Dark Matter he could see, and he was glad for that, but… there was something else. He couldn't quite put his finger on it. He had a bad feeling that if he left for too long, he might come back to find this village gone from the map… but he didn't know why, and it aggravated him.

Still, as he drifted calmly on the warm winds of Dreamland, he could only look down upon the village, and think back to his own hometown, from long, long ago… He knew he was here to find a demon-beast, but something else kept him here; a desire to safeguard this place, and a promise he had made many years ago. Should he find the demon wolf possibly hidden in the woods, perhaps he could stay here a bit longer afterward… The thought was certainly nice, but the Agency still needed all of its available hunters… Maybe he would need to put his feelings aside… Mmh, what to do… Unless Arthur gave him permission to stay…

Galacta Knight made a turn in the sky and promptly landed in the plaza, causing the passing cappys to turn to him, and they watched in awe as he lazily stretched his wings and arms. Already used to this kind of attention wherever he went – and, dare he say, rather proud of it – the hungry hunter went to fetch himself a cup of coffee and something to eat at the local café. Upon coming back out, he stopped when he saw a group of children come into the plaza, lead by a familiar face. There was a good dozen of them, all of differing ages, and they all grouped around the lady, who raised her arms and gestured around, saying:

"Alright children, it's time for break! Be sure to come back here in an hour, and don't be late!"

The kids all scattered almost immediately into the plaza and the town, probably off to play after a long morning of lessons, and when he looked back at the lady, he saw her sit at one of the benches surrounding the great tree in the middle of the plaza. He smirked to himself. Aah, the daughter of the Prime Minister Parm, and Bun's older sister, Fumu. He had read all about her in his mission log provided by the Agency before he started his mission, but, luckily, he had had the chance to speak to her face to face before; she even showed him around the region, an act of kindness he wouldn't forget.

She was certainly a nice lady, and that pretty face hadn't gone unnoticed by the mercenary. From what he had gathered, she served as a teacher in this apparently school-deprived town; by the way she was slightly slumped on the bench, he could tell even from this distance that this job was a tiring one. He could only commend one so brave as to ensure the education of the younger generations; he never could take an apprentice, because he simply was a terrible teacher.

For a moment, Galacta stared at the young woman's face. She certainly looked tired… When an idea struck him, the knight turned around and went back to the café; when he came back out two minutes later, he now had two coffees in hands. With a light smirk on his face, he approached the young lady, who looked up at him when she heard the soft clanking of his boots. Keeping his smile a polite one, he offered her the new cup of coffee with a gentle nod, saying:

"Caring for children is not an easy task, Lady Fumu. Perhaps some coffee would rejuvenate you, mmh?"

She appeared surprised for a short moment, then smiled almost a relieved smile and gladly took the cup, replying:

"Why, thank you Sir Galacta Knight. I was just about to go get one myself. Thank you."

As she took a sip from the cup, she gestured him to sit at the free place next to her, and he gladly did so. For a moment, none of them said anything; they were only simply watching the passersby, quietly sipping their coffee. Without even looking her way, the knight felt her eyes settle on him, but she didn't say anything, like she was hesitating. Finally, she asked:

"So, how is the hunt going? Have you found anything new?"

He hummed lightly, looking up a bit at the sky.

"Well, unfortunately the hunt isn't that successful. Other than the young Wolfwrath from yesterday, I haven't found any trace of either its parent or another potential demon-beast. Honestly speaking, I'm starting to think I was sent here because of a harmless puppy. Not that I'm complaining, this place is rather enjoyable. It makes for a nice vacation."

"But a harmless puppy couldn't have done that much damage," Fumu said. "Especially considering I saw him eating yesterday; this little pup can't even chew his own food! He wouldn't be able to catch a fly!" They both chuckled at the thought, and she continued. "He's adorable. So you like this place?"

"Of course I like it!" he smirked. "This star is like a little piece of paradise, hidden in a lost corner of the galaxy. This is why I'm not giving up yet. It'd be a shame to lose such a rare gem because of a hiding demon."

Galacta Knight looked around the market place, and he smiled lightly at how lively it was; people walking in and out of stores, joining together and laughing whole-heartedly at everything and nothing. He was amazed at how even the air itself seemed to laugh with them, at how light it was. The man took note of all the children running around, and he looked over to the lady beside him.

"So you're a teacher, Lady Fumu?" he asked her, to which she nodded her head with a light smile.

"Yes, I am," she answered, taking a sip of her coffee. "One of the only teachers around here, unfortunately."

"I see," he said, feeling a bit sorry for her considering how many children there was to teach to. "I noticed there isn't a school in this town. How come?"

"Well," she spoke with a deep sigh as she ran her hand through her hair, "it's not like there's never been a school in Pupu Village. In fact, there has been many. The only problem was that they were just scams from King Dedede, so none of them stayed around too long. It seemed Kirby particularly enjoyed destroying them." She chuckled lightly at the memory. "I'm actually planning on building a brand new school for the village; one that won't get destroyed this time."

"Oh, really now?" he asked, pleasantly surprised. "And is that plan coming along well?"

She hummed as an answer, biting down on her lip as if thinking of what to say, and when she did, Galacta couldn't help but stare silently, calmly waiting. Something about that girl made him somewhat… calmer. More serene. He didn't mind just sitting there next to her, just contenting himself in looking at her soft face and her sharp eyes… It's been a while since he'd felt this way… Then she looked at him and he realized he had zoned out.

"It depends on your definition of 'well'," she ended up saying. "I have the plans, I just need the funds. And since I'm teaching for free for now and I don't want my parents to pay for all that, well… It's going to take a while." But despite all this, her smile shone right back on her face. "But I don't mind right now. Besides, teaching outside can be fun, and the kids like it too. We just have to watch for the rain."

"I admire your tenacity, mylady," Galacta Knight replied with a light smirk. "I'll be sure to visit when that school of yours is constructed."

Her eyebrows raised slightly, but she only nodded her head. Before she could answer anything, they both heard the familiar, high-pitched voice of an excited Kirby as it resonated right into the market place over everyone else's voices, as he exclaimed:

"-it was awesome! It's like, I know there's already a Universe in my belly but now it feels like it's double its size! How does that make sense?! I dunno! But it feels great! I'm starving though…"

"Of course you are!" came the strangely jolly reply, one that made Galacta Knight jolt from his seat and look to where the voices came from.

First, he and Fumu both saw a happy-looking Kirby, who, as soon as the only restaurant of the village was spotted, took off running, calling the chef that was cleaning the front windows of his establishment. Following right behind him, was the tiny, clumsy baby Wolfwrath, who was running after Kirby's bright red feet under the amused and awed gazes of the villagers who had yet to get used to the pup running around. And, appearing right behind those two, was Meta Knight, wrapped in his cape as per usual, simply walking after them. Galacta stared at him, almost shocked; how rare it was to hear him laugh!

"Looks like Kirby might have had a break-through," Fumu said. "How nice!"

She stood up and gestured him to come with her, which he happily did, and as she headed toward Kirby and called her young friend's name to get his attention, Galacta went toward his cousin, who quietly watched them without a word.

"Fumu!" Kirby exclaimed when he saw her. "You'll never believe it! I saw it! I finally saw it! I'm going to the second phase now!"

And as a sweaty and smelly Kirby went to give Fumu a big, happy hug, Galacta smirked before punching his cousin on the arm, saying with a chuckle:

"You're getting pretty good at that whole teacher thing. How does that feel?"

For a short moment, Meta Knight looked like he just wanted to walk away, but he looked back ahead and answered:

"Fairly good, honestly speaking. He's learning fast… very fast…"

Galacta crossed his arms and joked:

"I can see that! He might even surpass you!"

Meta Knight hummed while his cousin laughed, and he said, softly:

"He already did…"

Galacta was surprised to hear this in such a resigned tone, but when he turned to have some answer to it, Meta Knight said:

"We're going to eat. If you're on your break, you might as well join us if you wish."

And the smaller knight walked off, his boots clanking softly on the paved road, leaving a shocked Galacta behind. Well, that invitation was pretty unexpected, but surely not unwelcome. With a smirk finding its way to his mouth, the older mercenary followed behind all four of them into the restaurant; he just knew that Kirby would tell them all about his findings in great details, and he couldn't wait to hear all of it… again.

* * *

That evening, after such a successful day in Kirby's training, Meta Knight gladly sat down in his favourite chair in their apartment, mindlessly watching the TV in the back of the room. Before he left that day, Kirby had made him some more of that tea he had presented to him this morning, and now he was quietly sipping it, savouring its sweet, honey taste as he thought back to earlier that day.

It was as if all that Kirby had needed to find the path was a little bit more motivation. Although, he would have preferred that his pupil find his motivation elsewhere than in Zero's looming gaze… But who was he to complain? After all, Kirby had found the path in such a short time… Meta Knight seriously thought it would have taken him years before finding it! And yet, here he had been, gasping out in shock at the top of a tree, before falling down its peak as he exclaimed: "I saw it! _I saw it!_ ", barely more than a month after his training began. Now to enter phase two… the hardest… He wondered how long it would take him this time.

Meta Knight came out of his trance when his two apprentices and their own trainee walked into the apartment, and he turned his head to them with an inquisitive look. The three of them saluted him briefly before Sword spoke:

"We're going to patrol the village, Sir."

"Are you going to be alright?" Blade asked, making the elder Kiridan smile kindly. "One of us can stay here if you want."

"I feel just fine," he gave a little nod. "Thank you for your concern. Besides, I'm not alone, I have Azure right here."

He cast his eyes in Azure's direction, by the side of his chair, and Blade chuckled in response.

"Go on, now," Meta Knight told them, and they all saluted in reply before leaving.

When the door closed and he was alone once more, Meta Knight looked down at Azure; the small demon-beast had done his best to stay awake by his side, but alas, here he was, flipped over on his back, small snores escaping his throat. Meta Knight couldn't help but smile at the sight; he wouldn't say it aloud, but he had quickly grown fond of the little guy. He was just a baby and couldn't do much yet – heck, the pup could barely eat solid food! – but, like Galacta Knight had so discreetly said, he had indeed always dreamt of having a dog when he was a child. It was never too late, it seemed. When the knight finished his tea, he looked at the clock; Kirby might be asleep by now. It was time to get to work for the night. With a light grunt, the tired warrior stood from his chair and walked over to the kitchen area of the apartment to put the tea set away, and the motion woke little Azure right up, making the small pup follow his master all over the place with a happy trot. As his master cleaned the dishes, Azure clung to his foot and sat his upper half on it, making the Kiridan look down with an amused glow in his faded eyes. The knight kindly petted the demon-beast on the head, quietly lifted him off of his foot and headed for the balcony doors, with Azure in tow.

However, Meta Knight was only a few steps from the doors when a sudden wave of warmth rose up to his face, making him feel suddenly faint. He quickly started to see stars, and he raised his hand to his eyes when his vision became nothing but black. He faintly heard Azure's small, worried barks echo in his ears, but he couldn't see him anywhere. With a grunt, he felt around with his hand until he felt the closest wall, and he immediately set his back upon it; he slid down to the floor in an instant, his body suddenly the heaviest thing he had to carry. For a long moment, Meta Knight remained sitting there, eyes tightly closed and his breath short, and all he could focus on was trying to breathe. These sorts of things happened more and more lately… more and more…

When he opened his eyes, wondering whether he had fainted or it was just his imagination, it suddenly dawned upon him how… exhausted he was. Both mentally and physically. Moreso than usual… How odd… Did Kirby put anything in that tea? What kind of tea was it to begin with? Oh, if it was something to help him sleep, he would have to stop taking it immediately. He blinked his oh-so-heavy eyelids, and he sighed deeply – yep, that tea had a soporific effect. Just great.

A series of small whines and yelps came to his ears, and he looked down at Azure, who clung to his side and looked up at him with a worried look, his bright eyes two shining gems on his dark coat. Meta Knight smiled tiredly and lifted a hand to pet his back, calming the pup down a bit, and he drew him a bit closer, setting his head back on the wall behind him.

"It's alright, Azure…," he mumbled. "It's alright… I'll just… I'll just sit here, for a little while. I just need to breathe… then I'll go outside… Kirby…" Without stopping himself, he breathed out a yawn… "Mmh… Kirby needs me… He can't… He can't stop the Dark Matter… no one can… nngh…"

And, softly, gently, as if carried by a cloud through the skies of a warm summer night, Meta Knight closed his eyes, and he gave in to sleep, a sweet, blissful embrace he so desperately needed…

* * *

That night, as Kirby prepared himself to go to bed, he couldn't stop talking to Tokkori about how great this day had been. The small bird, who was already perched on his own pillow and ready to go to bed, impatiently waited for his pink friend to just shut up, but with each word that Kirby added, the more impatient he got.

"I'm telling you Tok it was amazing and awesome, it's like I'm something completely different than I thought I was, I'm telling you! Oh and I found this super pretty place in the woods, I gotta show you someday, there was this cute little pond with orange fishies inside and lots of really cool-looking trees around, it was Rick who showed me, blah-blah-blah, he said something about lots of bees around this place though, blah-blah-blah-blah-blah…"

Eventually, seeing as the little blabbermouth wouldn't stop talking, the yellow bird flapped his wings and called:

"Hey, pinkie! Thinkin' about going to bed eventually or not? There's a tired bird here!"

As if to prove his point, he yawned, and Kirby laughed, rubbing the back of his head.

"Yeah, I guess I am too…"

After washing his face, he put on his warm sleeping hat and climbed into the bed.

"Good-night Tok."

"Mmrh… G-night, pinkie…"

At first, Kirby thought he was too excited to sleep, but to his honest surprise, the events of the day pushed down on his small body, and he quickly fell asleep. His mind, still fragile and opened to the world from this day's heavy meditation, soon found itself dreaming vividly…

* * *

 _Such a beautiful day!_

 _Here they were, joyfully enjoying a warm, summer day together, as if they were brothers who had done exactly that each and everyday of their lives. They were training, they were talking, they were laughing._

 _It was evening now; they were watching the sun go down, a sun that never moved and burned more than it ever did. The sky was ablaze, and his insides were too._

 _Such a beautiful day._

 _His mentor was sitting next to him, quiet, as he always was, something else, as no one knew him, someone different, yet someone he knew. His eyes shone like suns, and they burned themselves in his own eyes. His words were kind, and they inscribed themselves in the air, floating on the breeze like drifting snowflakes._

 _"_ _I am proud of you, Kirby."_

 _And he was glad to be here with him, sharing this precious, never-ending moment, hoping it wouldn't stop, wishing it would last always. No more talk of darkness, no more fear, no more sleepless nights, no nothing._

 _It was such a beautiful day._

 _"_ _Kirby…"_

 _He turned, and saw his mentor, his friend; but he looked so sad… so… destroyed… so… faded… fading…_

 _Dust floated in the air, and those molten eyes looked at him, pools of extinguished light._

 _"_ _There is something I have to tell you, but I cannot. There is something you must know, but you cannot."_

 _"_ _What is it?"_

 _"_ _I cannot."_

 _"_ _Tell me!"_

 _"_ _You cannot."_

 _"_ _Meta Knight, tell me! Don't hide anything, please!"_

 _"_ _We cannot."_

 _"_ _Don't you trust me…?"_

 _The sun vanished, and it became night. A night blacker than ink, with a sky as blank as nothingness, and this nothingness began to eat at all that was around them. It nibbled, it gnawed, it bit, it pecked, it consumed, it took, it stole, until there was nothing, and Kirby stood alone, alone, alone, and afraid, and confused, where was he? Didn't Meta Knight trust him? Why didn't he trust him?! He wasn't a child! He could understand what he was told! Why couldn't he understand that?!_

 _"_ _Kirby! Behind you!"_

 _He whipped around, with eyes that refused to see, with eyes that spun and spun and blurred and censored, they didn't want to see, they knew what was there and he was blind to everything and nothing._

 _But he saw._

 _It was Meta Knight. Standing there, in front of him. Eyes shining like gems, eyes dead like a beached fish._

 _"_ _K… Kirby… why did you do it…?"_

 _What?_

 _He vanished, and Kirby spun again when his voice spoke once more behind him._

 _"_ _Why did you do it, Kirby…?"_

 _His mentor, friend and father stood there. There was the fading hilt of a familiar blade producing out of his chest. A gaping hole; a dark abyss; an infinite emptiness, from which erupted dissipating life. It pooled under him, and expanded, and the more it streamed, the less he was. Meta Knight became dust, and Kirby was alone once more, standing in the middle of this pool of death and wasted life, completely… unfazed. Completely… frozen._

 _"_ _Wh… Why… K… Kir… Kirby…"_

 _Slowly, he turned again, and blinked at the body that lay on the dark floor before him. He blinked again, again, again, and the body did not disappear; it was no mirage; it was no dream._

 _"_ _M… Meta…?"_

 _He reached out to him, but even as he took one step closer, Kirby was pushed back two steps, he took another, and was pushed back four, he began to run, but Meta Knight grew farther and farther away, until he could no longer be seen in the darkness, until they were separated, until Kirby was truly and utterly alone. No matter how much he called his name –_

 _"_ _Meta Knight!"_

 _No matter how much he called for help –_

 _"_ _META KNIGHT!"_

 _No matter how much he begged –_

 _"_ _META! NO! DON'T LEAVE ME ALONE!"_

 _Kirby faded away, a lone speck of dust, and the last thing he could hear… in the distance… around him… inside him… were nails on a black board… screeches in his ears… cackles in the dark abyss that threatened to eat away at his being…_

 _They were laughing at him._

 _Laughing! It was so funny! Such misery! Such madness!_

 _And when he realized that_ he _was laughing with them –_

* * *

Tokkori was suddenly awoken by the most terrible scream he had ever heard in his short life, and he immediately flew to the ceiling as a reflex. He panicked for a short moment before he looked down at Kirby, who was battling with his covers as he kicked and pushed and fought against their grasp. It was like the poor lad couldn't understand they were just covers, it was like he couldn't see they were just stuck, it was like he was fighting biting snakes! Tokkori flew down toward the panicky and gasping boy, saying:

"Hey, Kirby! Calm down, pal! What the heck's wrong with you?!"

But Kirby immediately kicked his foot right up, missing the bird by a hair, and he immediately backed away before helplessly falling off of the bed. Once on the floor, he crawled backward until he hit the wall under a table, where he stopped moving and hid in the darkness, shaking like a leaf.

"What the?!" Tokkori was dreadfully confused and concerned by such a behaviour, and he flew to turn the lights on before flying down to look under the table at his friend. "Hey, Kirby! What's wrong?! Talk to me, buddy!"

But alas, Kirby didn't speak a word; instead, he held his head in his hands and began to wail heavily, in such a heartbroken and pained way that even Tokkori could feel it through his feathers, and when he started rocking back and forth, the bird flew a bit closer.

"What happened, pal?" he tried to ask, unsure of what to say to him and uncertain of what was happening to him. "Hey, do you hear me?"

It was only upon coming closer that Tokkori heard his breathing; it was so erratic! It was like the lad couldn't even breathe! Was he having a panic attack or what? Starting to panic himself at the state of his friend, Tokkori backed away, stuttering:

"Oh no, oh no, t-that doesn't look good… Hey, uh, look, I'mma uh, go look for help! Uh, I'll be right back!"

And the little bird bolted right through the open window, leaving a shaking Kirby alone to do battle with his demons…

* * *

Kirby couldn't understand. He couldn't see past the darkness, he couldn't run past his fears, couldn't outrun these nightmares, he couldn't hide. They were laughing still, they were so loud!

Hahahahahaha!

Just shut up!

They only got louder, and he grasped his head in his hands, fearful. He couldn't breathe, he forgot how to, they were keeping him locked in this state, he couldn't breathe and he would die, he was sure of it. He would die… just like Meta Knight did… because of him… He would die with him, again and again, and he would just remain lost, with these _goddamned_ laughs! _Just shut up!_

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha –

"Kirby."

That voice… Something, or someone, pried his hands away from his face, and through the darkness, two kind, glowing ruby eyes looked at him right through his soul. Whoever was there kept his hands in place with their solid and trusting grasp, but Kirby's vision was faltering again, was watering more, he couldn't breathe still and his whole body was hurting-

"Kirby, calm down. It's alright. Do like me, okay boy? Just breathe. Here, do like me."

Do like him… What was he doing, exactly…? The darkness faded… a little bit… and he saw a face. His mouth was breathing in, and out, in… He tried to do the same, but found it so much harder… It was like a mountain stood in the middle of his lungs, blocking everything from going in or out.

"That's it… You're doing good… Just breathe…"

He was so gentle with him… Steadily, his shaking calmed, and even though Kirby couldn't stop crying, even though he himself didn't even notice it, his breathing evened, and he began to take deeper and deeper breaths, making the kind man in front of him smile and nod.

"Good, good… It's alright, lad, these things happen to all of us. Just keep breathing now…"

Kirby didn't dare close his eyes in fear of seeing these demons and ghosts again, and he stared into his eyes with a blurry vision. Now that his heart was calming down a bit, he found himself… feeling so empty… so exhausted… He didn't say a word, he simply couldn't talk. He didn't even react when the man began to pull him out from under the table… His body was so numb…

"Where are you takin' him?"

"To the castle. It's best if we keep an eye on him tonight. Don't worry, you'll see him in the morning. You did well to come find me."

"Yeah… I'm jus' worried for the lil guy… Nova, that scared the life out of me…"

When he felt the surprisingly cold air from outside hit his face, Kirby completely zoned out, and retreated far inside himself, like a turtle hiding in its warm, protective shell…

* * *

 _Bam! Bam! Bam!_

Meta Knight awoke with a start, eyes darting back and forth a short moment, before he realized… Oh no! He had slept! _He had slept!_ What time was it?!

 _Bam! Bam!_

"Hey! Meta! Open this damned door!"

It was Galacta… Meta Knight quickly gathered himself from the floor, but when he stood, he suddenly felt faint and he had to hold his head in order to not pass out on the go. Azure was barking at the door where the banging was coming from, and the knight quickly staggered over to the balcony doors and opened one, only to have his larger and bigger cousin shove him aside to walk in.

"Sleeping on the job, are we?" Galacta said in an angry tone that deeply suggested what had happened.

It was only then that Meta Knight saw the body in the other knight's arms; Kirby! The boy was completely immobile… just staring ahead with a blank gaze… What had he done… Without a comment on his words, Meta Knight gestured toward the living room and said in a raucous voice:

"Put him on the couch."

While Galacta did just that, the smaller knight went to his own room to gather a pillow and some covers from his bed, and he brought them back to the main room, where he went to Kirby's side. He gently lifted the boy's head and slid the pillow underneath, and then covered him with the blankets. The knight touched his student's forehead with the back of his hand; he was warm, but Kirby was still shaking like he was cold… He stood back up and headed toward the kitchen, and he asked toward Galacta, who was standing in the middle of the living room with his arms crossed:

"Tell me what happened."

Galacta sighed deeply and shook his head lightly.

"Kirby's roommate came to find me. Apparently, Kirby woke up from a nightmare, screaming his head off, and he wouldn't answer to anything. He was suffering from a sort of panic attack. The lad couldn't even breathe right! I thought it was best if I brought him here."

"…I see."

Meta Knight came back from the kitchen with a soaked, cold rag, which he laid on his student's forehead. Galacta quietly watched as his younger cousin pulled the covers a bit more up on Kirby and gently put his hand on his head, in a strange, almost comforting way. Galacta sighed.

"If you can't continue like this," he said, "I'll call Arthur and tell him to send someone else."

Meta Knight didn't say anything…

"You know as well as I do that you're not invincible, Meta," he continued. "And Kirby just paid for this. The Dark Matter are gonna find him one way or another, you know tha-"

"No one else can do this," were Meta Knight's words. "Now, can you go to the Prime Minister's apartments and tell Fumu that Kirby is here? Tell her that he's fine and she'll be able to see him in the morning."

"Sure, fine, ignore me," Galacta mocked as he headed for the door, but when he grabbed the doorknob, he turned back to him. "You know, you can't be afraid of asking for help. If you really care for Kirby – and I know you do – well you should do what's best for him. I'll be right back."

The door closed behind him, and Meta Knight was alone with Kirby. Azure managed to climb on the couch, and the little demon pup waddled closer to Kirby's side, sliding against the covers to lay right next to his face, whining a little bit as if he could feel he wasn't right. Meta Knight sighed deeply. After all these years of working so hard, here he was, basking in utter failure… again… Without thinking, he gently rubbed Kirby's head, making small circles with his thumb.

"Forgive me, Kirby…," he whispered. "Forgive me…"

For a long moment of silence, Kirby's blank gaze only stared at the ceiling, but as the shaking subsided, and his breathing became calm, his eyes retrieved some light, even if it was but a brief spark. After a few minutes, the young Kiridan moved his head and looked at his mentor; his eyes lit up, and more tears welled up in those deep pools of blue. Before the relieved knight could say anything, the boy suddenly threw himself out of the covers and threw his arms around the knight, taking him by utter surprise. As Meta Knight could only raise his arms as if in defence, Kirby only wrapped his tiny arms tighter… and he began to cry, his voice muffled against his mask.

"Y-you… d… Y-you were d… dead…"

Those words surprised him, and Kirby only cried a little bit harder as the memories of the nightmare came back to him. Meta Knight only looked down at this crying child, unsure of what to do… But something inside him… perhaps the guilt, perhaps something else, something warmer… told him to reply. And the knight wrapped his arms around his young, scared student, holding him gently but solidly. He felt Kirby tense up in his arms, but he began to rub his back, and the boy's sobs calmed… He softly hushed him down, starting to rock back and forth a little without even taking notice of it. His instincts were starting to kick in… and it was so new to him…

"Shhh… It was just a dream, son. Nothing can hurt you."

How strange this feeling was… It had been so long since he had hugged anyone in such a… caring way… with a genuine intention of making someone feel better. How odd… Perhaps that was how it felt like… to care for a child as your own… He had missed so much in life…

Even when Kirby stopped sobbing, neither of them moved; it was like two puzzle pieces finally finding their place.

It was like the wall that stood between them cracked and began to fall apart…

The door then opened; Meta Knight opened his eyes, and when he saw that Galacta was staring at them, his heart rate accelerated, and he pried Kirby's arms away from him, taking the small one by surprise. Kirby looked up at him disappointed, but he looked more confused and lost than anything else. The knight looked over to Galacta, who acted as if he hadn't seen anything – even though the bastard was smirking – and gave a nod before gesturing toward the balcony.

"I'll leave you guys alone, I'm clearly interrupting something here. I'll be outside."

The blue Kiridan watched his cousin with a displeased look all the way until the door closed, but he turned back when Kirby's small voice spoke, with a parched throat.

"Meta Knight…?"

"Yes, Kirby?"

The boy hesitated, but he took a deep breath and looked away.

"I'm sorry… I should have told you sooner…"

Confused, the knight asked:

"Told me what, Kirby?"

He remained quiet… but his voice did speak the words, as if it had been holding them for ages.

"I've… I've been having nightmares for a while now… Every night… I didn't think it'd get this bad… Nova, it was so…"

He didn't finish, nor did he look at him. Meta Knight was truly apalled. He had been having nightmares all this time?! Which means… he had already failed… but how? 'How' was the true question here. Tonight was the first time he had failed to keep awake while Kirby slept, but he had done everything right the previous nights… So why was Kirby having these dreams? Could Zero and the Dark Matter forces be even stronger than he had thought…? Was he truly this weak…? Was the world truly this unbalanced…?

Meta Knight looked down at Kirby with a serious gaze, but upon seeing how devastated the young boy was, he softened.

"I… see. Then I am terribly sorry, Kirby. I failed to protect you… There is nothing more shameful than that."

"But," Kirby raised his head to him, "what does that mean? You said that you were protecting me, but does that nightmare prove that the Dark Matter found me or what? Am I in danger? What's going to happen?"

Meta Knight raised his hand to bring him to silence, and he chose his words carefully, speaking slowly and as clearly as he could.

"Listen well, Kirby. I do not know what will happen. This… battle of the mind is hard to explain and put into words, so to predict what the Dark Matter will do now is impossible. Listen to me. We will speak of this tomorrow. You are too distraught and exhausted to think clearly."

"B-but…," Kirby weakly protested. "I'm gonna dream again…"

The elder mentor shook his head at those words, and raised his hands to coax him back on the couch. As Kirby sat where he previously laid, Meta Knight put his hand on his head, glad to feel his temperature had regulated, and he stared right into his eyes. His own glowed kindly, softly… and a power, long hidden in his blood, began to pulse through his hand… and into Kirby's head.

"You'll have no dreams, Kirby. No more tears, now. You need to sleep…"

It was as if his touch had a soporific effect on little Kirby; at first, he could only stare back, but his eyes grew heavy quite quickly. He was so… so sleepy, all of a sudden… It was like all of his stress had evaporated, like all of it was just a mirage, and he was free of any trouble again. No more tears. No dreams. Just… sleep. Sweet, liberating sleep…

Azure climbed above Kirby and slid down in front of him, basically forcing himself in his arms, and Kirby gladly hugged him like he would a stuffed animal, and without even noticing, he was already falling back on the pillow. The blanket was raised to his head, and with Azure neatly tucked underneath with him like his own personal heater, Kirby's eyes closed, but not before he cast one last glance at his mentor, with a grateful smile.

"Thank you, Sir Meta Knight… for everything…"

And the last thing Kirby heard before he gave in to this mystical sleep-inducing gentle strength pushing down on him, was a deep hum, a kind song, quietly lulling him into a peaceful realm…

A few moments later, when Meta Knight was sure that Kirby was truly asleep, the knight heaved a deep sigh; he didn't know this trick would be so effective. It had been a while after all since he had used this strength. After making sure that both of them were sleeping soundly, he left Kirby's and Azure's side, and headed for the balcony. Galacta was still there, waiting, and when the two cousins stood side by side under the stars in the dark of the night and the light of the moon, the younger of the two noticed the smirk on the other's face was still as present as ever, and he knew what to expect.

"You sure this kid ain't your son?"

"Just shut up. Please."

"Hahaha! Touched a nerve, did I?"

Luckily for him, he quickly changed the subject, even though he knew it wouldn't be the last he'd hear of this.

"So, do I have to call Arthur or will you do it yourself?"

Meta Knight sighed.

"I'll call him first thing in the morning," he answered. "I… It pains me to admit it, but I can't go on like this. Like you said, Kirby is paying the price of my incompetence."

"Hey, now, no need to be so hard on yourself…"

"You must be relieved."

"'Course I am! You may think I'm an asshole or whatever you want, but I can't stand to see you like this, Meta. Nightmare is gone, you know. I think you deserve to rest. Ask for some reinforcements or something, or more protection around Popstar. That should do it."

"Maybe you're right…"

"You know I am. So, about Kirby… Are you really sure he's not your kid?"

He knew it.

* * *

At the same time, down into the bowels of the palace, in the darkness of a forgotten corner of the dungeon, a shadow moved along the bricks of the walls, hiding itself in dust and dark crevasses. It was small, weak and harmless; a tiny flame that wouldn't even singe the driest leaf. It was so empty, no one could see it, and no one could fear it. It wandered the darkness in silence and loneliness, waiting, again and again, as it had been doing for a long time.

This place was a bad place for one such as it. The light that shone in everyone's heart was so pure, even more so since the shift in the balance after Nightmare's destruction; it was so bright, it couldn't even sense the tiniest of fears or the deepest melancholy of the inhabitants. Food-deprived, weakened, this tiny spark of darkness couldn't even leave this plane or this world, as it _feared_ – if that was even possible for them to feel such a thing – that it would disintegrate the second it basked in the light of this star. What a sad life this was!

However… just as it began to think that it was doomed to wait many more millenia of such a life, a smell floated down to it… a sweet smell, a delicious fragrance, so perfect that its lone eye finally opened, if only by an inch.

Fear.

Such untamed fear!

It had been so long since it had tasted it! Where was it coming from? From above? Aah, it could feel a new surge of energy running through its being already!

Carefully, as if somewhat doubtful, it crept out of the shadows, its one eye a dim, crimson light as it looked up at the ceiling. It came from up there… The boy! It came from the star boy! Aah, but his guardian was there, too… Surely, it wouldn't dare confront _him_ of all things just for a taste of fear… but… wait. What was this? There was… darkness coming from this old guardian… A darkness even deeper than its own, perhaps even deeper than Nightmare himself! What did this mean? Had it been the only one to notice? This could change everything… It could stir everything in their favour…

The Dark Matter sunk back into the darkness, deciding it was best to wait some more. It had gotten enough of nourishment to retrieve some of its strength back, and it would need to do with it for now. The guardian… _He_ was the one it had to go after. His was a darkness it wanted, his was a power it needed, more than the light of this star boy. Oh, there was so much to look forward to!

The Dark Matter closed its eye, vanishing from this place to see what else this plane had to offer in the meantime… It could feel another pained and petty soul, from an even greater distance, from another plane entirely, calling out to all of them, speaking to all of them, scheming petty schemes. This weak soul would have to do for now…


	9. Looming Darkness

**Fallen Stars: A New Age**

 **Act 1 - Chapter Nine: Looming Darkness**

* * *

Three months passed since that fateful night. Three long months of endless work and training, with nary a single goal in sight.

The day after, like Meta Knight had promised, he and his student had a long discussion about the Dark Matter and what this dream indicated. Basically, Meta Knight couldn't tell anything, simply because he didn't _know_ anything. The Dark Matter were unpredictable in nature, both in their way of thinking and in their behaviour. From past experiences with them, Meta Knight explained that they thought and acted as a whole, like one brain for an infinite amount of beings. That meant that if one knew of Kirby's whereabouts, all the others did, therefore the Agency and himself were doing their best to hide Kirby from any sort of darkness related to the Dark Matter.

Since no one was sure of anything, the Captain of the guard called for the Demon Hunter Agency's leader, his old friend Arthur, so he could take action. And just as he would expect from him, Arthur did what he thought was best, and although Meta Knight wasn't happy that he had to resort to that, he would have to swallow his pride and make do with the facts; he couldn't work alone anymore, and his cousin made sure he understood that.

Although the operation had long since been put into motion, it was like nothing had changed in Dreamland, at all. Even for little Kirby; both Meta Knight and Galacta Knight kept quiet about the details of the 'help' they asked for, and eventually, the young Star Warrior quietly delved back into his training… even though his dream still lingered on the edges of his mind, always there, like a tease… What he did notice, however, was the wonderful fact that his dreams were less frequent; from one each night, they diminished to one every two days, to one per week, and soon, he retrieved his usual sleep schedule. He didn't know what his mentor did, but whatever it was, it worked, and in the end, he was just glad he could work on his training without so many distractions.

After three long months of search, Galacta Knight had personally abandoned the hunt; he simply came to the conclusion that there were no demon-beasts in the area, or that whatever attacked Dyna Blade's chick had simply left. Although King Dedede was glad he didn't have to pay for a second demon – which would have cost him way more than he was willing to give – by Sir Arthur's orders, Galacta Knight remained on Popstar to keep watch on Kirby – and, most of all, his dear cousin – for an undetermined amount of time. Galacta Knight was particularly happy with this decision; the longer he could stay in this summer paradise, the better he would be!

Three months had passed, and Kirby's training seemed to lead to nowhere. The impatient young lad pushed himself to his limits each and everyday, hoping to notice a change, perhaps a sign of improvement, but such a thing had yet to show itself, making him doubt that he could ever go further into the second phase of his training. This phase was simple enough; inhale two abilities, watch them go onto the path he had memorized inside his pocket Universe, and fuse them. Alright. Quick and to the point, he liked this training better than the first phase. But, after three months, he hadn't been able to do anything correctly; it was simple enough by now to follow a single ability in his pocket Universe, and he was getting better at keeping watch of anything inside him, which was useful for many other things such as preserving snacks for later – Fumu was particularly disgusted every time she saw her little friend pull out a full sandwich from his mouth only to eat it again – but when there were _two_ abilities, he lost track of both of them, and he just couldn't fuse them. Meta Knight thought he was being comforting by telling him it may take him years to master the combining of abilities, but it didn't encourage the young'un, who was beginning to tire of this training.

Despite his desires to take a break from training for a while, Kirby also didn't want to; he wanted to master this ability as soon as possible, so he could take on Zero as soon as possible. Those conflicting feelings were beginning to wear him out! Luckily for him, though, his birthday was coming up, and he knew it meant at least a day off for him – a day full of treats and cakes too! By cappy standards, Kirby would now be fifteen years old, as it was the amount of time that passed since he had fallen on Popstar, but by Kiridan standards, as he had been told by Galacta Knight, he would be between fifty and a hundred years old, which he found incredible to think about. It certainly didn't feel like he was that old!

* * *

This morning, when young Kirby arrived in the meadow, stomach full of his breakfast food and arms stretching out in preparation for his morning work-out, he found Meta Knight by the tree as usual, but his teacher wasn't alone; Sword and Blade were there too. Wondering what they were doing here so early, Kirby walked over to the trio, but before he could hear any word that they were saying, Meta Knight turned to look at him, causing his two protégés to turn as well. Kirby barely had the time to see Blade's red, teary eyes before the younger of the two brothers turned again to wipe his face on his sleeve, as Meta Knight greeted nonchalantly:

"Good morning, Kirby."

Kirby waved his hand, but he still looked toward Blade, even going so far as to ask:

"You guys okay? What's wrong?"

It was Sword who answered, with a smile that at first seemed a bit forced, but beneath its first surface was a genuine happiness that Kirby felt as soon as he dug a bit deeper into the swordsman's eyes.

"Oh, nothing, Kirby. Actually, heh… We just got promoted."

He vaguely gestured to the golden star-shaped badge on his right shoulder, and Kirby's face immediately beamed with delight. He quickly turned his head to confirm that Blade had the same, and he ran up to them, excitedly saying:

"Really?! That's so awesome! I'm so happy to hear that! So what does that mean? You're like, full knights now?"

The two brothers looked at each other for a short moment, and they turned back to him with somewhat wider smiles, each nodding their head in synch with the other.

"I guess we are," Blade said with a soft voice, having retrieved some sort of composure.

"We gotta celebrate that!" Kirby quickly proposed. "It's my birthday in like three days, we could make it a double party thing for you guys! What do you say?"

At first, it looked like they were reluctant to party about such a huge thing, but the brothers couldn't bring themselves to say no to such a happy and pleading face – arg, those eyes! – and so they ended up giving him some chuckles as an answer. Sword patted the young warrior on the head, saying:

"Sure, a party sounds good to me. What do you think, Blade?"

"Sounds fun!" the cadet agreed. "We should go tell Bun about this."

They both turned to Meta Knight as if waiting for his approval, and all that the elder knight gave them was a nod and:

"I will see you later then. And remember, be humble with your new titles. At least try not to rub it in Bun's face."

With heartfelt chuckles, they both saluted him promptly before turning around and leaving them alone. When they both vanished beyond the hills of the meadow, Kirby looked back at his mentor, only to see him stare into space, completely immobile. After having spent so much time with him, Kirby was getting better at deciphering his unseen emotions through his eyes alone, and what he was seeing now was one, pure thing; pride. The relationship between those three swordsmen was something quite different from what Kirby could imagine for a bound between a knight and his apprentices; it wasn't just a teacher and his students, to him they acted a lot more like a father and his sons. The way they looked out for each other, the way Sword and Blade looked up to him, the simple ways they talked to each other… Those were the little details that made the links between them strong enough so that they would last beyond any other.

In a way, Kirby had to admit to himself… that he was somewhat jealous of Sword and Blade. At least, they _knew_ what Meta Knight thought of them, and they were somewhat privileged to, as well. As for himself, even despite the few moments in which Meta Knight did show a more caring side, Kirby still wasn't sure who they were to each other. Sometimes, they were a student and his teacher; sometimes, they were two friends hanging out; sometimes, they were a son and his father…

Kirby would be lying to himself if he said he didn't see him as a parental figure; after all, the knight was the only other of his species he really knew at all, and really, it was all in the little things, too. The words, the gestures… He wanted to ask him, but was afraid that the answer wouldn't be what he expected, he was afraid that maybe he was wrong, that his expectations were above reality… And so he kept quiet about his feelings, and waited to see. There was no need to get so worked up over this; in fact, he really was happy for Sword and Blade!

It was only when Kirby spoke that Meta Knight turned his head back to him.

"Any reason why you're promoting them today? Did something happen?"

The knight lightly shook his head, replying:

"No reason in particular. They have been my apprentices for many years now, and they have proved on numerous occasions these past few years that they were ready. I have seen it even clearer lately with Bun, as well. If they want to be good teachers, they first need to learn to do things on their own, without me in the way. …I also felt that they were ready for it… quite simply."

Kirby gave a light smirk. It was always a question of feeling, not anything else. If Meta Knight had a feeling they were ready to be full-fledged knights, then that was it, they were ready.

"Yeah, you're right. So, what's on the menu today?" Kirby asked. "Same thing as usual, I guess?"

"Not quite," Meta Knight answered. "Actually, I have something for you, too. Here…"

Kirby watched curiously as his elder produced a small box from his cloak and handed it to him. The object was covered with coloured wrapping paper, topped with a lovely little red ribbon. Under the ribbon and attached to the box was an envelope, but the few words that were written on its back were hidden by the ribbon.

"You know my birthday's just in three days, right?" Kirby smirked, amused. "You sure you don't want to wait?"

Meta Knight gave a small chuckle.

"I wanted to give it to you… privately, if you will. Although, I have only one request."

"Mmh?" Kirby hummed. "What is it?"

"I am giving it to you now, but you mustn't open it until your birthday. Am I clear?"

Kirby arched his brows. What a strange request. Why give it to him earlier then? Was it to test his patience? Meta Knight did like to test him in silly little ways like this, so he wasn't that surprised. He smirked and nodded his head, answering:

"Sure, no problem. Thanks! I guess you won't give me a hint as to what's inside?"

As he said this, he brought the box to his ear and shook it lightly; not even a single sound, so it was solid. Meta Knight chuckled, giving a little shake to his shoulders.

"Not a chance," he answered, turning around and gesturing him to follow. "Come, you're running on the beach this morning. Azure!"

The knight whistled, and from the tall grass further on in the meadow produced a head, with ears tall and listening. As soon as Azure spotted his master, the Wolfwrath stood up frantically from his sleeping spot and ran over, wagging his tail excitedly. Azure had grown quite fast in the past three months; from a pup almost as big as a hand, he was now as tall as Kirby, and twice as long. His claws were already sharp and the four spikes on his back were growing at a steady pace, along with the dark blue jewel on his head, which was now producing from his fur for all to see. He was already able to produce flames thanks to his regular and healthy diet of fire and embers, and Meta Knight was doing his best to keep him from burning anything he wasn't told to burn. All in all, he was the most obedient, perfect dog one could hope to have!

Azure ran up to his master, proudly raising his head as if to show off the collar around his neck; a blue coloured choker, with a metallic front with Meta Knight's signature insignia engraved on it. It was a gift he received for his first anniversary, and the pup was definitely loving it.

Azure waited for his master to pet him on the head, and as the knight continued to walk toward the beach after doing so, the demon wolf went and gave Kirby a head bump, snapping his jaws in a jolly growl. The young warrior hugged him around his fluffy neck; years back, he never would have thought he would love a demon-beast as much as he loved Azure. What a gift this little demon was! Speaking of gift…

As they headed toward the beach, Kirby looked down at the present he was given. He was not to open it until his birthday, huh? Talk about a tease. With a sigh, Kirby told himself to be patient; after all, his birthday was coming soon, and he had no reason to be hasty. _But he wanted to know so bad…_

* * *

The day after, Fumu walked from home to town, checking out on all the preparations of Kirby's birthday. As usual, all of their friends across the village participated in this event that had become quite big as the years went by, each working on their own part of the party, whether it was the decorating, the arrangements, the invitations for those out of town, the gifts, or, the most important aspect, the menu, and Fumu liked to make sure that they would all be done on time, as Kirby's birthday was already two days away. She was just now coming out of the mayor's house after speaking to Hana and the grand-children about the arrangements, when she spotted a shadow flying above her. Looking up, she saw the now familiar shape of Galacta Knight as he flew over-head and watched as the knight landed near the sheeps' pen, making the fluffy animals bleat in surprise.

After three months, it was needless to say that the knight had made himself a cozy little place in the village's daily life; and that was welcomed by just about everyone. He was _very_ different from what the cappies were used to see in knights, and it was like he acted like a big brother to everyone, which was quite charming to see. Since he had settled in under Sir Arthur's orders, he had contributed everywhere; in the fields, at the palace, in the village, even going as to offer his help at Kawasaki's restaurant and Fumu's outside school! He wasn't an expert at whatever he was helping with, but his helping hand was kind, and that was what everyone pulled out of it. And now, seeing as Kirby's birthday was coming, Fumu could already guess what he was here for…

She watched him extend a hand to one curious sheep, and noted that he wasn't wearing his armour – again. He was definitely a lot more laid back than his cousin, that was a clear fact; when he wasn't scouting or training, he just wore casual clothes, with no metal pieces, not even his boots. The sheep bleated lightly when Fumu approached and went back to the grass at its feet, making Galacta turn with a smirk on his face. He nodded his head as greetings and crossed his arms, saying:

"Good day, mylady."

"Good day, Sir," she greeted back. "What are you doing out here?"

"Mh-well, I just wanted to see a pretty face, and you happened to be down here, so…"

Fumu laughed, placing her hands on her hips as she avoided to look his way – he liked to pester her with these kinds of compliments, and she still wasn't sure how she felt about them. Her face did feel hotter though; _just stop it, face! Don't do that!_

"Haha! Very funny, Sir."

He smirked, happy that his comment had touched something, and he looked back toward the sheep, saying:

"I was just wondering if there was something I could do for the lad's big day. I saw plenty of people in town making preparations, and from what I've heard those celebrations are a big thing around here, aren't they?"

She gave a nod, smiling at the memory of all the other fourteen birthdays before the coming one, and she looked back at him.

"Of course they're big things, it's Kirby!" she told him. "I guess it's become a tradition now to celebrate like that. After all, fifteen years old is a milestone for a boy his age!"

"Of course, I'm not saying you're wrong," he said with a wave of his hands. "We used to celebrate birthdays this way too back at home, so if there's something I'm good at, it's making parties happen!"

She chuckled at the thought; Galacta had told her plenty about their home world, Khazta Star, and how his and Sir Meta Knight's lives were back then, and it did sound very similar to their lives here; except, of course, they didn't have to worry about a particular penguin king… She hummed a moment, crossing her arms and thinking about a thing he could do to help.

"Mmh… I'm pretty sure everything is already taken care of this year, so one thing you could do to help is keeping an eye on Kirby so he doesn't spoil the surprise we're preparing for him. Is it really a surprise after fifteen years…? Oh well, you get what I mean."

"Alright, sounds good to me," he nodded with a small chuckle. "I'll keep both eyes on him, the lad's pretty sneaky when he wants to. Speaking of Kirby, are you going to see him? I heard from Sword and Blade that he's made some great progress today."

"Really?" Fumu beamed. "It's been a while, he must be so happy! Of course I'll go see him. Mind accompanying me to judge that progress for yourself?"

Galacta Knight gracefully and exagerately bowed down while extending an arm to the side like a gentleman, saying:

"Lead the way, mylady."

And together, the two made their way away from the mayor's house, unknowingly being watched by mayor Len and his wife through the front door of the house. Hana leaned toward her husband with a fond look on her face.

"They would make a cute couple, wouldn't they?" she said, to mayor Len's honest surprise, making him widen his eyes.

"Um," he hesitated, thinking about the idea, only to shrug his shoulders. "I suppose? Now that you mention it, they do seem to get along pretty well."

"I'd say _more_ than just 'pretty well', dear!" Hana giggled to herself, making her husband scratch his head.

Needless to say, Hana usually had a good eye for these things.

* * *

The sky was so beautiful here… A shade of blue as light as it could get, with puffy little clouds slowly drifting here and there, subjects to the soft breeze that blew through this land of dreams… The sun was right on top of their heads, making the shade of the tree an even better place to be, and the grass under him was cool and fresh… Such a perfect, beautiful day, and yet…

Inside, it burned… a spreading fire, merciless and precise…

Now, usually when a fire spread, a wise one would find something to extinguish it, but alas, he could but calm those black flames with dirt; no matter what he did, the embers always came back to life…

And he feared he was powerless to stop it…

But under that sky… none of it mattered. It felt like all of those years had been naught but a long, never ending dream, to whom he had been a slave, and that now, as he stared at that sky, he was slowly awakening… He felt like a bubble ready to burst…

 _Squeak! Thud!_

" _ARHG!_ Damnit!"

Surprised, Meta Knight blinked his eyes and brought his hazy gaze down to the ground, to where Kirby had just fallen from his perch at the top of the tree. He watched his student stand back up, scratching his head where he had hit it upon landing, groaning nasty little things under his breath while their Wolfwrath pet trotted over to the pink puffball, thinking he wanted to play.

"I had it!" he assured toward his teacher with a truthful look in his bright blue eyes as he pushed Azure's face away from his. "I had it, but then I didn't have it! It's so annoying and it's taking so _long_! I'm telling you now, there's no way I'm doing this for _years_!"

"If you won't do it in the time it should take you to do it," Meta Knight said calmly, "then what _will_ you do?"

"Easy!" Kirby proclaimed, raising his arms in a shrug. "I'm just gonna do it faster! Now back up there I go. Next time I get down, I'll have this combination thingy completely mastered, I tell you!"

As Kirby puffed his body up with air to float up to the top of the tree once more, Meta Knight could do nothing but commend his determination. He watched his feet vanish over the leaves of the tree, and under his mask, the ghost of a smile lurked on his parched and withered lips. Ah, the impatience of youth. He didn't miss it.

Kirby may have been impatient, but even from where he sat, Meta Knight could feel the boy had the potential to keep to his word. Perhaps he had exaggerated a little when saying that it would take him many years to master this; but at least, he wasn't lying. Meta Knight only told facts, not guesses.

He raised his head when he heard his name being called, and he held back a sigh. Over the hill, Galacta Knight and Fumu had appeared and were coming down to them; Azure was already excited to see them and was even now running up the hill, barking. Meta Knight's first annoyance vanished entirely however when he saw the young Wolfwrath pup jump at Galacta's face, ultimately forcing the taller knight to take him in his arms despite the wolf's much bigger size; it seems that Azure still hadn't realized that he had grown, and from what little Meta Knight knew about dogs, he knew that the wolf would most likely never notice. What a little ray of sunshine this demon-beast was… _Maybe he could bring him along after all…_

"Hello, Sir Meta Knight," Fumu greeted with her usual kind smile as they arrived in the meadow. "How is Kirby doing today? We heard he was doing better."

He nodded his head as an answer, whistling to get Azure to get down from Galacta's arms; the dog immediately jumped down and went to lay down next to his master, gluing his head against his gloved hand, still wagging his tail incessantly.

"You heard right," he said as he petted his dog on the head in an almost mechanical manner. "Kirby believes he can master phase two today. I'd be very impressed if he does manage to do that, but if not, at least he would have been very determined for one day, which I believe is better than being discouraged."

However, just as the knight finished speaking, they heard a most familiar cry coming from above:

"Got it, got it, got it! Got it! GOT I- GAH!"

There was a bright flash of light, then Kirby came tumbling down from the tree, and onto the ground he fell once more. Fumu immediately went to him, saying worriedly:

"Oh! Kirby, are you okay? Did you hurt yourself?"

But Kirby was just fine; he raised his arms to the sky and pounded angry stubs of fists on his head, groaning loudly:

"I had it! Again! I'm trying _again_!"

But just as Kirby was inhaling air to puff up, Meta Knight raised his hand, and Kirby halted.

"You're done for today, Kirby," the knight said, much to the youth's dismay.

"What?" Kirby exclaimed. "But why? I'm so close, Meta Knight! Come on!"

Meta Knight only shook his head, and answered calmly.

"You have been working hard since dawn, and though I admit you have made considerable progress, you cannot force your mind any more than you already have. You will only exhaust yourself by doing so, and that is why you will stop for today. Am I clear, Kirby?"

"But Meta Knight!" the young warrior protested, taking two steps toward his sitting mentor in disbelief. "I can work some more, I'm sure I can do it today! If you just let me try one more time I'm sure I can-"

A hand on his shoulder made Kirby stop, and he turned his head to see Galacta, kindly smiling down at him. The taller knight shook his head, saying with a kind voice:

"Now, now, lad, you should probably listen to him. Meta knows what's good for you, you know. If he judges that over-exhausting yourself isn't good, then that's final. You get me, lad?"

Kirby's gaze went downcast and he lightly pouted, making Fumu giggle softly. As Galacta took his hand back from his shoulder, the words he spoke with an amused laugh resonated in the meadow like cymbals in an empty hall.

"Besides, you've been working on this for like, what, three months? Do you how many years it took Meta to perfect that combining trick? Ha! You're not well placed to complain, lemme tell yo-"

" _Galacta!_ "

That bark made all of them turn to Meta Knight, whose eyes briefly turned a bright orange and faded to white before turning to amber again. His eyes became so piercing, the silence that ensued felt like spears planting in Galacta's own eyes – shocked, ruby eyes that widened considerably while his mouth went agape. They exchanged silent words, words that neither Kirby nor Fumu could understand, and Galacta then shrugged his shoulders, sighing a low:

"Oh. I see how it is. Alright, then."

"Wait," Kirby said immediately, looking back and forth between the two cousins. "What did that mean?"

"Oh, nothing," the taller knight waved his hand nonchalantly. "Just a little misunderstanding. Now just listen to your teacher and take a break. Miss Fumu, do you mind taking him back to town? Meta Knight and I need to talk…"

The cappy girl, despite not saying a word, understood what they would need to talk about, and while clearly sending the magenta knight a look that said: _"You're going to tell me what this is about whether you like it or not."_ , she walked up to a clearly confused Kirby and whispered something in his ear. Taking his hand in hers, she nudged him to walk with her, away from the meadow. Kirby cast one last glance toward his mentor, but he didn't try to go back. When they vanished over the hill, Galacta heaved a sigh.

"I thought you told him."

Without a word, Meta Knight attempted to stand from his sitting place; _attempted_ was the right word. He held himself against the trunk, but he closed his eyes as his shaky feet stood under him, as if feeling nauseous or faint. Azure, as if reacting to an instinct, stood at his master's reach, serving as a stand for him to hold on to so he wouldn't fall.

With a sigh, Galacta walked over to his weakened cousin, and took his arm over his shoulder to help him stand, wrapping a wing around his form to hold him straight. Although Meta Knight first reacted defensively to being touched, he quickly softened, and let his cousin help him. They walked in such a way to the beach; just like they used to, a long time ago, when they needed to talk face to face… And when they stood by the waters, close enough so that the waves touched their feet, Meta Knight closed his eyes, and his voice grew deep and raucous.

"Galacta…"

"Mmh?"

"I need to tell you about something. Do not interrupt me until I am done. I can't… keep lying anymore. To myself, and to everyone else."

* * *

Later that evening, Meta Knight was walking through the castle, patrolling its halls as he usually did, and the constant _tap_ of a walking stick followed the soft clanking of his boots and Azure's claws on the stone floor as they trudged ahead at a slow pace. Azure kept glancing up at his master as he stepped by his side, unused to the stick he was now using. Galacta had gotten this from Doctor Yabui's clinic, and argued that if he was to stubbornly keep being sick, he might as well be able to get around without constant help. The Wolfwrath could hear his master's heavy breathing and feel the sickness radiate from his whole being, and the young demon-beast didn't know what to do to help except stay by his side until he was better.

Meta Knight's mind was elsewhere entirely as they walked, and it was only when they approached the doors of the throne room that he stopped, making Azure look up curiously at him. They both listened intently… Voices came from the throne room itself, muffled by the closed doors. With a light sigh, Meta Knight picked his cane from the ground and silently walked toward the door with Azure on his heels, and, opening one of them just barely an inch wide, he listened in, careful not to make the door creak.

"Hahaha! Good one! Ya really know how to make a bored penguin laugh, that's fer sure. Tell me another one!"

 _"_ _Hee hee hee! It's only natural, Your Majesty. Now, let's see, another story…"_

It was that same voice again… Three months ago, Escargon had warned him about a voice the king was speaking to; a jolly voice, indeed, nice and amusing for our bored king, but a voice the knight did not trust. For three months now he had been listening in to their conversations, but until now, nothing seemed too dangerous about what they were saying. Mostly telling jokes and stories to entertain the king, who kept requesting more each time, and one thing the knight had been quick to notice was the way the voice was shamelessly licking the king's boots at each available occasion. He was just waiting now for the moment the voice would just show what it truly wanted…

 _"_ _Ah! I know! Have I ever told you the story about the fairy princess and the pawn demon-beast? It's both beautiful and amusing, if I do say so myself."_

"Huh? Nope! Tell me!"

The voice had a particular accent Meta Knight could swear he had heard before, but his mind was so foggy he couldn't tell or even recall where it came from. As the voice was going on and on about the story he had promised the king, Meta Knight leaned in a little more through the opened door, looking around the throne room carefully. As it usually did, the voice was coming from the only screen in the wall that was still working, but the screen itself wasn't showing anything. It was just black, suggesting the voice was communicating only through some sort of radio signal with no video feed. However, despite searching all through the throne room and attempting to hijack the signal to where it came from, he had been thoroughly unlucky until now. For now, he could only listen to it, and wait for a sign…

Suddenly, a tap on his shoulder made him jolt and spin his head around, surprised. Stars! It was just Kirby. How long had he been standing there?! How did he not notice him? Azure was starting to get excited, and before the pup could utter a single sound, Meta Knight grasped him by the muzzle and held him close so he wouldn't move – even though his tail was still wildly wagging – and the knight looked into Kirby's eyes. The youngster mouthed the words:

 _'_ _I gotta talk to you.'_

And gestured toward the throne room, arching his eyebrows as if asking if he could. The knight stared at him for a moment, thinking about what to do, and turned back to the doors; the voice was just telling a story he hadn't paid any attention to… It was completely harmless, once more. Without a sound, the knight closed the door, and with Azure in his arms, he and Kirby both headed down the hallway, silently, unaware that behind them, a dark shadow was observing them, leaking its shapeless form through the bricks of the wall as it followed them…

"What did you need to talk about, Kirby?" Meta Knight calmly asked as they headed off into the quiet castle, having put his pet demon-beast down.

The young Star Warrior remained silent for a moment, only staring at the walking stick his teacher was using; he hadn't seen it until now… He looked back forward, as if searching for his words, and the knight could feel his confusion through his mere posture alone. He had so many questions, but he knew he would have so few answers to them… The tapping of the walking stick stood out like a clock in the middle of the night in the silence of the hallways.

 _Tap… tap… tap…_

"Uhm… It's about what Sir Galacta said earlier."

 _Tap… tap… tap…_

"He said it took you years to perfect that technique, but… How? I mean, you gotta have the same powers I have to do that, no?"

"By that logic, you suggest that I possess the same powers you do."

"Well… do you?"

 _Tap… tap…_

"No, I do not. It would be silly if I did, wouldn't you agree?"

"Yeah, well, it would explain a whole lot of things you know…"

 _Tap…_

…

Kirby stopped walking and looked back when he noticed that his mentor had stopped. His eyes were closed, and he was grasping his walking cane with both hands, as if he was ready to fall over. Kirby stepped closer to him, but before he could offer his help, Meta Knight took a deep breath and cast a tired gaze at him.

"If you do not mind, Kirby, I am very tired. You should go back home yourself, it is getting late."

Kirby lightly frowned and put his hands where his hips would be, tapping his foot.

"You didn't answer me."

"W… What was your question again?"

Kirby's frown softened a bit. He had never seen him so… lost… Was it a façade? Meta Knight was good at putting those up to evade a subject…

"How? How did you do to perfect a technique you can't even use?"

The knight didn't say a word for a long time… He was just staring ahead, right into his eyes, and Kirby stared right back, into his own. Somehow, he could feel the answer was right there, in front of him… right beyond the ruins of the broken wall that stood still between them…

"Son, you will learn that, sometimes, some things cannot be put into words," Meta Knight slowly spoke, making Kirby drop his arms in defeat. "These things… are best left unsaid. That is all I can tell you right now."

The young boy became downcast, but nodded his head all the same, slightly turning his body away, as if he was giving up trying to search his way through his eyes to find the actual truth.

"I see…"

He was thoroughly disappointed – that, he wouldn't hide it – but he was also not surprised, at all. Meta Knight would be a mystery until the very end, he could tell as much… If only he could tell him something, anything to relieve his questions… It would be just enough…

A warm hand on his shoulder made him look up at the knight, who gave a slow nod. His eyes… spoke a thousand words in a tongue he couldn't understand – in a tongue he _should_ understand.

"Go back home, Kirby. I'll tell you what I can after you open your birthday present. When you do this, no more secrets."

Kirby's eyes widened at those words, and he gave a small, hopeful smile.

"Promise?"

Meta Knight nodded again, a bit faster, as he was sure of his answer.

"I promise."

The young boy's eyes then filled with so many stars and so much happiness at this promise that Meta Knight couldn't look away; so much so that he was too slow to react when Kirby suddenly wrapped his stubby arms around him. The knight raised his arms almost defensively and held his breath, but only for a short moment, a moment during which his mind simply turned off; looking down at the happiness on that face made it all worth the effort… Perhaps it would do good for him to let go, even if just for this moment… Although the knight hesitated at first, he slowly descended a hand on top of Kirby's head, unsure of how to react.

Ever since Kirby had suffered a panic attack three months ago, the boy seemed a lot more… affectionate, toward the elder Kiridan. Whenever he could steal a hug, he would do it, and the way they spoke to each other was much less formal than it used to be. Meta Knight didn't know how to react to this; there had only been a few instances in his life where such a relationship had grown between him and someone close, and so many years between all of them, he couldn't really recall how he had acted back then with them. And Kirby was so different from any of his old friends, yet so similar at the same time…

His train of thoughts crashed into the back of his mind when Azure began to jump next to them, trying to claw his way into the hug. Kirby laughed wholeheartedly and immediately let go of his teacher to extend his arms toward the wolf, saying in a goofy voice:

"Dawww, you want a hug too, big boy? Come here!"

While the boy was busy with the small excited demon, Meta Knight quickly regained his composure, and said, after clearing his raucous throat:

"You should go back home, now, it is late."

Kirby didn't say anything for a moment; he only stared at Azure as he ruffled his growing mane, as if he was lost in thought. After a moment, he nodded his head and looked up, smiling.

"Alright. See you tomorrow then! Bye Azure!"

And with one last wave of his hand, Kirby took off running into another corridor, leaving the master and his pet alone. Meta Knight gave a long, deep sigh as soon as the boy was gone. He was only hoping that he wasn't making a horrible mistake by accepting the boy's affection…

Gesturing to Azure to follow, the knight continued to walk, ready to crash into his bed, but when he passed by another hallway, a soft voice spoke from the corner, leaking with… gratitude…

"Thank you, Sir Meta Knight."

He stopped and turned his eyes. Fumu was just standing there, leaning on the corner, a warm smile lighting her features. She gestured her head toward where he and Kirby once stood, and continued:

"Kirby always wanted that. A parent, I mean."

Meta Knight turned his eyes away and lightly shook his head.

"But is it really what he needs?" he asked in a low and broken voice. "As far as family goes, he has you and Bun, does he not?"

"Yeah, he does have us," she agreed with a nod of her head. "But we're more like his siblings than anything else, you know. Kirby is not a cappy, Sir Meta Knight. By the time he reaches adulthood, we'll be long gone. You, on the other hand, will still be there with him. And he knows that."

She paused briefly here, as if she was still trying to take this in.

"He may not say it, but he looks up to you like a father, you know."

Meta Knight did not move; he did not say a word; he didn't show a flicker of emotion – but deep inside, the word 'father' resonated endlessly, bringing with it its share of feelings and memories, and he was beaming with joy.

"What I mean to say is," she continued speaking, "thank you, Sir Meta Knight. For everything you're doing for him, and for being there for him. Whether you believe it or not, I don't care much. Kirby needs you and that's all that matters."

"Are you afraid I might reject him?"

"Well… you never were the most… social or affectionate guy around, I have to admit that."

He smirked at those words, and she did too, but for another reason.

"But you were always there. As far as I can remember, you never abandoned any of us. So, to answer your question, no, I'm not afraid. And… just so you know, we'll never abandon you, either."

Meta Knight closed his eyes, tightly. He shook his head, slowly, and heaved a sigh.

"I am… tired, Fumu."

He shouldn't be speaking, he shouldn't be saying that.

"So… tired… I don't think… I can do this…"

He felt a hand touch his arm; a warm one, too. He opened his eyes quickly, and saw Fumu was in front of him. As always, her wide emerald eyes brought him a sense of comfort, and his fears and worries softly faded away at the back of his mind. She smiled, kindly, keeping her hand on his arm.

"You've done so much, Sir Meta Knight," she told him. "You're not a machine, as far as I know, you're not made of metal. You've been sick for a long time now… You're allowed to rest."

"But, Kirby…"

"You don't need to tire yourself out caring for Kirby," she smirked, amused by the idea. "Being a parental figure isn't as hard as you may think it is. Just be yourself, Kirby likes you that way. Now please, Sir Meta Knight, go get some rest. I feel awful seeing you like this…"

Meta Knight couldn't agree more with that, and he nodded his head, looking down at Azure to avoid looking in her eyes.

"You're right, I think I'll do that. You've grown a lot in the past years, I sometimes forget you're not the little girl you once were."

They both chuckled, but before he could wish her good night, he saw her quickly lean forward and peck him on his mask, where his cheek would be. Even though she didn't touch him directly, he felt his face get warmer, and she laughed again before stepping away and waving her hand.

"Good night, Sir Meta Knight. Thank you again for everything."

And with one last smile in his direction, she left the knight and his wolf alone once more, and Meta Knight breathed out deeply. A father figure for Kirby… The thought kept spinning around in his head, and the more he repeated it, the better it sounded. Fumu was right. And yet, he couldn't…

He heard Azure whine at his feet, and he saw that the poor pup was almost falling asleep on his boots, so the tired knight gathered himself and his dog and went straight for his quarters, unaware that the shadow hiding in the castle's walls was watching his every move, without ever blinking its only eye – an eye that saw everything, outside and inside…

* * *

Meanwhile, inside the throne room, the voice was finishing its story for the enthralled king, and as it ended with the moral of the simple yet entertaining tale, the king loudly clapped his hands together, wiggling his feet around as he exclaimed:

"Hahaha! That was good! Yer a pretty good story-teller, lemme tell you that. More interestin' than any of those villagers down there, that's fer sure."

 _"_ _Really, Your Majesty?"_ the voice inquired, sounding surprised. _"I would have thought that with the hero Kirby around, there would be many stories to tell."_

"Yeah, sure, but they ain't as cool when I already know them because everyone keeps tellin' them," King Dedede groaned, grumpily slouching in his chair with his cheek in his palm. "So your stories are a welcomed change, right now."

The voice let out a soft, high-pitched chuckle, before the tone of the conversation changed drastically to a more serious one. While still maintaining its jolly sound, the voice became somewhat darker, in some sort of morbid way.

 _"_ _Speaking of Kirby, how is that training of his coming along?"_

King Dedede's gaze lifted up to the empty, black screen, and his eyes grew empty. His voice was slow and steady, almost in a mechanical way.

"Meta Knight says it'll take him years to reach his current goal, but we hear he is getting closer to reaching it even now. He is tiring his mind even quicker than when we were influencing him. In two days, it'll be his birthday. The townspeople are organizing a party in his honour."

 _"_ _Oh! A birthday party! Be sure to save me some cake, it's been ages since I've had some. Mmh, a Popstarian cake…"_

"Of course. This party'll be fun, that's fer sure."


	10. The Voice in the Darkness

**Fallen Stars: A New Age**

 **Act 1 - Chapter Ten: The Voice in the Darkness**

* * *

The big day was here! Kirby's fifteenth anniversary – at least, fifteen in cappy years, to be precise. Oh, how long the boy had waited for this day! He had seen all of his older friends reach this age and celebrate like it was something huge, like they were reaching a big milestone, and finally he would get to know how it felt – although, he had to admit, when he woke up that morning, he honestly didn't feel that different, but he figured it was more of a mentality thing. If he told himself that he was older, he would feel older; at least, that's what the boy got from all of his friends.

The previous day, a lot of them had come back to town for the celebration, and though many joked that they were prepared for anything to happen during the party, Kirby only laughed half-heartedly at the remarks. It was true that something always happened on his birthday; whether it be a sudden demon-beast, a trap laid by a scheming villain, or just King Dedede's mischievous tricks, something was _always_ bound to happen that would either ruin the party or the cake, and in the end, Kirby rarely got to eat said cake. This year, he told himself, he would make sure nothing happened. Besides, Sir Galacta Knight was there, then there surely wouldn't be a demon-beast attack at least, so that was one possibility crossed from the list! Now to make sure King Dedede didn't pull anything dirty… Oh well, he certainly would, it was King Dedede! It wouldn't feel the same if he didn't!

That morning, Kirby saw Meta Knight's present, sitting on the only table of his dome home, and he thought about opening it now since it was his birthday, but he remembered that Meta Knight specified to open it _after_ the party… But it was so enticing! He would have to wait some more, it seemed…

The day went by rather quickly, to his surprise. Since he had a break today from training, he first found himself at a loss for what to do, and wandered around for a long time before his friends actually found him. The whole day, he was kept away from the village, and he got to relax and play at the beach for the first time in quite a while. The boy got to catch up with those friends, but his contentment dissipated a bit when Hohhe remarked how tired he looked, soon followed by many others who agreed. He could only touch his own face, unsure of how to react; he wasn't that tired… And yet, when no one was looking, he found a small bowl of clear, undisturbed water in the sand and looked at his reflection inside. He hadn't noticed the bags under his eyes until now… Maybe Sir Meta Knight was right; he may be over-exhausting himself with this training… Good thing he was here to relax then.

Relax… The thought of it sounded easy, but when he did try to just lay in the sand and do just that, there was always something at the back of his mind, nagging him to stay aware of his surroundings, like an annoying fly buzzing around his ears. He didn't really understand why it was so, but he figured it might be because he knew the party was coming and was just excited. All in all, the young Star Warrior did his best to enjoy his day of break, and when the time came, later this afternoon, Fumu came to find him and his friends, and they all guided him toward the fields that were usually used for annual celebrations. What he found there was absolutely breathtaking.

Food! Food as far as the eye could see – actually until the table ended -, food and drinks and treats and- _stars._ That cake! It reigned over everything in the middle of the table like the most glorious of all kings, a tall cake with three storeys of delicious yummyness, topped with strawberries and exactly fifteen unlit candles. Around the buffet was a whole wooden stage with decorations of all kinds and styles, paper lanterns hanging on invisible threads all around the field and a lovely huge banner that said 'Happy Birthday Kirby!' hanging above everyone's heads.

The whole village was present on and around the stage; as soon as the young Star Warrior and his friends showed up, the crowd cheered and filled the field with noise, and Kirby was beaming inside and outside so widely he didn't know where to look or who to smile at. There were so many people! All of them cheering and calling his name! So much joy all around him!

Yes, they were praising him, yes, they were chanting his name and calling him the hero, but it wasn't the praise Kirby was searching for. In the eyes of those he had known since he had first landed on this star, he could see far behind the praise and could see genuine joy, and most of all, pride; the villagers weren't as dumb as some of them seemed, they knew how hard he was working, and they knew he was deserving of this great party.

Before the lad could say anything, Fumu walked up to him, smiling like a sun as she always did, and she kindly took his hands in hers.

"Happy birthday, Kirby!" she told him warmly, making his smile shine even more. "What do you think? Impressive set-up, mh?"

"This is amazing!" Kirby laughed, gesturing his hand toward the stage and all the decorations. "You guys have been working on all of that?! I didn't see a single thing! You guys are great!"

All the cappies nearby then regrouped around him, and Kirby saw the mayor walk forward, holding a cup of wine up in the air and making everyone else do the same. After all this time, Kirby already knew what this was going to be about.

"Kirby," Mayor Len started, "you have been with us for fifteen years now. If you hadn't come here all those years ago, Pupu Village wouldn't have been the same, and I think everybody gathered here today can agree with that."

A wave of acclaims rose up from the crowd, proving the mayor right, and Kirby could only laugh at their enthusiasm, feeling strange at such a speech; the cappies rarely ever thanked him for his hard work, mostly because they thought he didn't need thanks. How odd it was for the mayor to come up with such a speech… not that he was complaining! It felt good to be appreciated sometimes!

"And so," the mayor continued, lifting his glass a little bit more in the air, "on this day of your fifteenth birthday, on behalf of all the inhabitants of Pupu Village and Dreamland, I thank you for everything, Kirby. And happy birthday to you! Cheers!"

His acclamation was answered by the crowd cheering and lifting their glasses up, and Kirby even heard poppers explode from all sides, making confettis rain on his head. The lad was so overwhelmed by all this attention, he could only smile and fidget around, not knowing what to answer while everyone praised him endlessly. He was even given a glass of juice so he could cheer with everyone else. What a great day this was!

The happy little lad was pulled into the crowd, and the party officially began when the music started; much to his delight, the crowd lead him right to the buffet; although he wasn't to touch the cake yet, he had access to the rest of it, and there was plenty more where it all came from. _This was fantastic!_

The party lasted for the rest of the day; Kirby met with friends that came from all over, he shared stories and laughs with all of them – and what was his surprise when even Dyno, Dyna Blade's chick, came to join them! Since the incident with the missing demon-beast, Dyno had been terrified to go down into the town, and to see the young bird now running around the place playing with Azure and a bunch of Kirby's animal friends, flapping his tiny wings, it was certainly a sight that brought warmth into the young warrior's heart.

Even King Dedede came down to the party, and though he was mostly here to partake in the buffet and make jokes about Kirby, he did wish the lad a happy birthday, something that made Kirby smile genuinely; how nice of him! Although he carefully watched the king, there didn't seem to be any sign of any tricks up his sleeve; he was just here to enjoy himself, as were his servants and even Escargon. Maybe nothing bad would happen this year; it would certainly feel good to enjoy a party to its fullest for once!

One thing, however, that Kirby noticed quite quickly, was the fact that Meta Knight was missing; he knew the knight didn't like to mingle in heavy crowds, but he would have expected to see him eventually during the party… He couldn't hide to himself that he felt rather sad about it, but at least Sword and Blade were there, and even Galacta Knight was celebrating with them, always lurking around Fumu and telling jokes and stories to entertain the crowd of curious cappies that always drank his words. That was already something, right? Besides, he was seeing Meta Knight everyday, what difference did it make…? Maybe all the difference, considering what day this was…

It was only later, when the sun had begun to slowly descend against the sky, that the lad finally heard the voice he wanted to hear all day.

"Happy seventy-eighth birthday, Kirby."

The boy whiped around, and a smile immediately appeared on his shining face at the sight of his teacher standing right there behind him; without hesitation, Kirby jumped against him to give him a tight hug, one that took the knight by surprise and made him slightly gasp out. Despite that there were more people around them than the knight preferred, Meta Knight still put a hand on his young pupil's head, chuckling lightly at the situation while he held himself up with a cane in his other hand. Excited about everything that was going on around them, Azure ran around the duo, barking and wagging his tail. They both ignored the silly comments echoing from around them and Kirby promptly let go of him to send him an inquisitive look, his heart palpitating.

"Did you just say seventy-eight?" he asked, to which Meta Knight answered with a nod, making him widen his eyes even more. "So wait, that's my real age?! But I thought you said you didn't know exactly! How come now you actually know?!"

Meta Knight's answer came with a heartfelt laugh, one that made Kirby puff his reddening cheeks:

"Aah, maybe I know, maybe I don't. Like I said, Kirby. After you open your present after the party, then I promise I shall keep no more secrets from you. I just supposed I could at least share your real age with you. I thought you'd appreciate this little detail."

"Of course I appreciate that!" Kirby exclaimed with a knowing laugh. "I've been wondering ever since I knew I was older than just fifteen! So you really promise, you won't keep anything secret from me anymore? Anything?"

"Anything," Meta Knight answered.

"So, if I were to ask a question, any question, you'd answer it honestly?" Kirby questioned, still baffled by such a promise.

Again, Meta Knight replied with a nod of his head, and said:

"I will answer to the best of my abilities, and as honestly as I can, that is my promise to you… Now, Kirby, there is something important I need to discuss with you. If you don't mind me taking you away from your party for a moment, please, come walk with me."

Meta Knight gestured him to follow and began to walk away, Azure right on his heels, and Kirby was so excited at the thought of a new secret that he immediately followed him. They walked away from the party, the music and the crowd, and when they came upon the beach, Kirby was surprised to find silence; it felt good to go away from the noise for a bit… They walked along the water's edge for some time, and as they went farther and farther away from the party, Meta Knight began to explain, while the playful little Wolfwrath was playing catch with the crabs that wandered around, keeping clear of the water's edge.

"You see, Kirby, there is something about our species that I feel is the right time to speak about. Something quite unique to us."

For a second there, Kirby was afraid he would be given The Talk, but what Meta Knight said next brought more interest than he first thought.

"Tell me, what do you think of Galacta Knight's wings?" he asked, much to his surprise.

Kirby didn't have to think too long to answer that; Galacta Knight never failed to amaze him every time he took off flying!

"They're awesome!" he answered. "Why do you ask?"

Meta Knight gave some sort of small chuckle, and he looked off into the distance, surveying the calm sea before them as its waves reached up to lick their feet.

"Once we reach a certain age, depending on our genes, Kiridans can grow wings. Surely you must have wondered about Galacta Knight's wings when you first saw him, as he is the only one of the remaining Kiridan knights to possess such a trait."

Kirby's eyes widened at this news; _excuse me_?! So anyone could grow a pair and fly? Why wasn't he told this sooner?!

"Wait, you're serious?" he asked in shock. "That's awesome! Am I gonna grow wings soon?"

"As I just said, it depends on your genes. The gene must be present in your family to have a chance at growing them. You see, Galacta Knight's mother, my aunt Uri, and our grand-mother Adel both had wings, so the chance of him growing wings was almost certain. My own parents did not have wings, so I am afraid I was unlucky."

"So," Kirby began, thinking about this carefully, "is there a way to know if I'll have some eventually?"

"There is a series of tests you can follow to know in advance, but you would have to go to the Agency to do them," Meta Knight answered. "Usually, young Kiridans grow their wings between seventy and a hundred years of age, so that is why I am telling you this right now. If you do have the gene, I wanted you to be prepared, because the process of growing wings is… shall we say, painful."

Kirby looked up at him, crossing his brows.

"What do you mean, painful?" he asked in a low voice.

"You see, a young Kiridan will start growing their wings inside their back; a good way of guessing that one will grow their pair soon is when they experience back pains on a regular basis. When the wings are ready, they… dig their way out using a small claw for this purpose, and the whole process is very sudden."

The young Kiridan gulped down, feeling his back itch at the thought of something tearing its way out of there like a nasty alien. This was horrible! If that was the process, he wasn't so sure he wanted wings after all…

"Well that sucks," was his blunt answer to all this, making his elder chuckle. "So… Sir Galacta Knight had to go through that?"

The knight nodded his head, saying:

"Yes. I was the only one around when his wings started coming out. He later said that it wasn't as bad as it looked, although I find that hard to believe. However, if it can relieve you… the pain is nothing next to the thrill of flight."

Kirby stopped walking when he noticed that he had halted as well, and he turned back. Azure was sitting next to his master, looking up at him with curious eyes as well, while Meta Knight only stared at the sea, his gaze lost in the light of the sun on the horizon.

"That is the only reason I wish you to grow your wings, Kirby," he spoke softly. "There is nothing quite like being up there, when the weather is nice and the breeze is fresh. You cannot even begin to imagine what it truly feels like, Kirby. Up there, you must be ever closer to the stars, ever closer to light… Up there, you are free…"

Kirby listened to the tired old knight intently, carefully dissecting each of his words, and through all the sounds coming out of his mouth, he could feel every drop of wonder and joy, as if he was privy to the feeling of flight, and though he wondered how he could know that, it made Kirby's mouth water at this fantasy dream. Now that he imagined himself, bearing wings, high against the clouds, with nothing but his own instincts and his own will unrelated to an ability to fly, it made him rethink his opinion. Meta Knight sure knew how to convince him.

As the thought inhabitated him, Kirby slowly felt himself drifting away; with a blink of his eyes, he faded away, and he was no longer on the beach, but high up there against a night sky. Stars shone all around him, and though he was surrounded by darkness, he was in a sea of light, and he didn't want to get out of it, so much so that everything became nothing more than just a show of light and dark dancing before him-

"Kirby! Are you okay?"

The Star Warrior suddenly blinked his eyes open; only to find himself staring at the sky above him. He was laying on his back in the sand, and his heart was palpitating wildly in his chest. He straightened himself up, but had to hold his head, as his sight began to spin in all directions. Azure was licking his hand incessantly, whining and groaning, but Kirby only looked back up when he felt Meta Knight's gloved hand on his head. When he lifted his head, Meta Knight leaned a bit forward to observe him closer, sliding his hand to his forehead as if to feel his temperature.

"Did… Did I faint?" Kirby asked, equally shocked.

"You suddenly fell over," came the calm answer. "I believe you should have something fresh to drink, perhaps it would help you. You are a bit feverish… Come, let us go back to the meadow. Can you stand?"

Kirby had to take a moment to recollect his thoughts. What was that just now? One second he was thinking about having wings, and then he _was_ flying… but only in his head, somehow. But it felt so… _real_. How could it not be real? In that instant, he had grown wings that were always there and he had flown, high in the sky. Hadn't he? The young boy looked back up at his mentor, searching for a clear answer in his eyes; and, somehow, it felt like it was right there… His teacher's eyes were kind, they allowed him to take a deep breath and nod his head. He gladly took the hand that was given to him, and he stood back up, supporting himself on Azure, who went to sniff and lick his face in concern.

Once he was back on his feet, he didn't let go of Meta Knight's hand, and the knight did nothing to take it back. Thinking that he didn't mind, _hoping_ that he didn't mind, Kirby kept holding his warm and kind hand as they turned back and left toward the party.

"How do you feel, son?"

Kirby blinked away from the train wreck of his thoughts and shook his head, trying to bring some sort of feeling to his face.

"Light-headed," he answered with a light groan. "Like I just took a big hit from Dedede's hammer… I think you're right, I might be working a bit too hard…"

"Another reason you should take it easy and rest," the knight answered him. "You may rest tomorrow as well, if you need to. I think I may need it too…"

Kirby became a bit downcast, and without him noticing, he began leaning a bit on his side, setting his head against the knight's arm.

Meta Knight's eyes moved over to the young'un, but he didn't say anything else. Instead, all he did, was give the ghost of a squeeze on his hand, trying to be reassuring toward his protégé…

"I wouldn't mind having wings," Kirby quietly said, his voice but a low whisper. "I like flying on my Warp Star, so it must feel similar…"

Under his mask, Meta Knight's face distorted into a ghostly smile, and he gave a light chuckle.

"I am sure you would love it," he answered.

"I'm a bit scared of them growing, though," the young warrior mumbled, to which the knight replied, much to his surprise:

"I believe I know enough about the subject that I could help. Would it make you feel more secure if I was there, if or when it happens?"

Kirby smiled, and he nodded his head.

"Definitely. You make me feel better just by being there, so I'm sure it'd help a lot. So I gotta watch for back pains, huh? I'll keep an eye out for that…"

Although they faded into a kind silence, the knight quietly cast his eyes on his student, as if touched by those words. Here he was starting to doubt, again… _Perhaps he could stay a bi_ \- No. He had already decided, and it would go this way no matter what.

They were only about halfway across the beach when Azure suddenly dashed and stopped in front of them, making them stop immediately. The small Wolfwrath was staring ahead, ears tall and tail raised, as if on high alert, when he began to growl; a deep, dark and creaky groan that reverberated from deep within the demon-beast's throat, making Kirby widen his eyes and call:

"Hey, what's wrong with you, Azure? Is something up, bud?"

But the demon-beast didn't even look back; with an angry bark, the wolf took off running across the beach in a hurry like a lightning bolt bouncing straight forward. Both Kirby and Meta Knight shared a look, and the knight waved his hand toward the wolf, saying quickly:

"I can't run like this, go after him and see what's wrong. I'll join you as quickly as I can. Go."

Kirby visibly hesitated at leaving him behind, but the young one obliged and took off running after the demon-beast, calling his name over and over again. However, as soon as Kirby was far enough away, Meta Knight allowed himself to bend forward, slowly falling on one knee as his breath was being taken away from him. His heart was palpitating, his sight was growing darker around the edges, and he couldn't focus on anything at all.

Why was he here? He should be gone already. The sun was already going down, he needed to prepare- But Kirby? And Azure? Something was happening, he couldn't do it yet. But his heart… Would it take the pressure…? He was already fading… His mind was already leaving him, replaced by something more primal, something he desperately tried to push back.

His medicine. He hadn't gotten his medicine yet. He needed it, now! With a heavy grunt, Meta Knight picked himself up from the sand and held himself against his cane, limping his way over to where the party was held; he could see it from here, this darkness, growing and growing, and Kirby was headed right into it. If he was quick enough, maybe he would be there in time…

* * *

"Azure! Come back here!"

Kirby ran as fast as his feet could carry him, shocked at how quick the small demon-beast was; by now he wasn't even following the demon, but rather his footprints in the sand. The young Star Warrior ran back toward the meadow where his party was held, thinking he would find it just as he had left it; but as soon as he laid his gaze on the field, he knew something was going down. He didn't really know how he knew; he just did, there was something… dark, down there… He quickly spotted Azure dashing through the crowd of cappies and he ran after him, surprised that people were actually making a way for him, as if expecting him to come over.

He was hearing strange noises, like groans and moans of pain, and the crowd lead him straight to the source; it was Dedede, who clearly was in visible pain. The large king was slouching on the ground, his back held by a group of pilled in Waddle Dees that were doing their best to hold him up, and he was moaning loudly in pain as Doctor Yabui examined him. Kirby found Azure crouched near Dedede, growling and barking at the penguin, making everyone around him unsure of what to do. An odd and heavy silence was cast upon the crowd, and many were whispering among themselves, creating a low rumour over the field. The young warrior ran up to them and grabbed Azure around his neck, trying to calm him down, saying:

"Azure! Don't do that, it's just Dedede. You know him, right? Stop that!"

But the young demon-beast wouldn't listen, and though he wasn't biting at Kirby for holding him, his claws were digging in the dirt under him, as if ready to pounce at the king, who just groaned loudly:

"Ugh, just shut up, ya stupid mutt! Can't you see I'm in pain over 'ere?"

"What's wrong?" Kirby asked, doing his best to hold Azure down.

"I believe it might be an indigestion," Yabui concluded, stepping away from the king, who yelled:

"Ain't no indigestion! Aaaye! I'm hurtin' like I just took a train in me guts! Yer a doctor, do somethin'!"

And the king started squirming on the ground again, hugging his arms around his body as if trying to pry something off of him, and the doctor – and everyone else around – was at a loss for what to do. While Escargon was complaining to the doctor about how incompetent he was, Kirby's mind started drifting off again as he stared at the pained monarch… There was no one else around him, not even Azure or the doctor, only him… and the ball of darkness in front of him. It was growing, it was impatient, lurching in every direction as if ready to burst, and it was calling him, over and over, a whisper as loud as an alarm yet as soft as a breeze, echoing not only in his ears, but also inside and around him… deep inside his pocket Universe, trying to reach in…

He blinked.

King Dedede… was now silent. Immobile.

He had stopped squirming, and was just sitting there, his head low, eyes dulled and blank. Kirby stepped a bit closer, something he knew he shouldn't do, and Azure began whining, stepping back with his tail between his legs.

"Kirby, don't come closer!"

The young Star Warrior turned his head as he was about to hold his hand out toward the king; Galacta Knight was coming their way, a concerned look about his face. He knew what was going on, that was for certain.

"…Kiiiirbyyyy…"

The lad's eyes widened; that voice… was nothing like King Dedede's. It was still his, but like a thousand him were speaking at once, something so eery and unnatural he felt a nasty shiver run up his spine. Kirby turned his head quickly, just in time to see the king suddenly leap toward him, uttering a war cry as he lifted his hammer high above his head. Kirby had just enough time and reflexes to jump back, just as the hammer was coming down, crashing into the ground where he once stood and causing everyone standing nearby to scream and run away. Kirby stepped back some more, heart palpitating as he yelled:

"Hey! What's the matter with you, Triple D?! I don't have a target on my face if you didn't notice!"

But his words fell on deaf ears, on many deaf ears, and the king looked up at him, eyes filled with a blazing fire that didn't come from him. Galacta Knight landed right in front of him, summoning a shield and his armour as if from thin air as he took a defensive stance before him. In a brief light that made Kirby blink, the knight was bearing all of his gear and stood ready to defend him.

"Watch it, lad!" the mercenary called out as he eyed the king carefully. "His Majesty's possessed by a group of Dark Matter, it's no use calling to him. Go and take refuge in town! I'll handle this."

Kirby's eyes widened and he backed away, soon finding Azure to cling on to as he stared at King Dedede in fear.

"D-Dark Matter?!" he repeated, baffled. "B-but how?! Where do they come from?"

"You'll have time for questions later, lad!" Galacta called back to him, slightly turning his head to shoot him an urgent glare. "Now do as you're told and go!"

But the moment the knight had turned his head, Kirby saw King Dedede lift his hammer once more, ready to hit the knight, making Kirby hold out his hand and call:

"Look out!"

Galacta Knight turned his head right in time to raise his shield, but the impact from the hammer was so strong it sent him flying off to the side in an instant. As soon as the knight was out of the way, King Dedede didn't waste any time and ran straight toward Kirby, who panicked for a split second before jumping out of the way of the hammer, pushing a scared Azure the other way. He had to duck again to dodge another hit, roll, jump, jump again, and King Dedede only got more and more energized the more he hit the air, as he was getting faster and faster and was swinging his mighty hammer with more and more anger and shouts.

Kirby was already out of breath; he had been tired enough before this unexpected fight, and he found himself huffing heavily as he did his best to dodge all the attacks, but here and there he could feel the hammer lightly brush a hand or a foot, and every time it did his heart skipped a beat and reverberated in his ears, reminding him that it wasn't King Dedede that was fighting, but the very beings that had searched far and wide across the galaxy for him. The Dark Matter! They were here! They had found him! In King Dedede's eyes, he could see the very eyes that used to laugh at him in his dreams and visions, and it scared him so much he didn't dare attack back. With what ability would he attack anyway? There was nothing to inhale here! And he certainly hadn't brought his training equipment to his birthday party!

Kirby growled.

Of course something awful had to happen during his birthday party! It was always the same! Stupid penguin!

He did his best to dodge everything, but eventually came a sudden hit from the side that impacted him right on the cheek, sending him waltzing away to the ground many feet away. Buried in the grass, his whole face was numb and his head was spinning in all directions, his ears blocked from everything going on. Was somebody calling his name? Or was it the villagers running away from the meadow, screaming things he didn't understand? His face hurt so much…

When he managed to lift his face from the ground, the first thing he saw was something truly disturbing; King Dedede, standing before him, hammer up and ready to slam, eyes nothing but a black abyss, and _a mouth on his stomach_. A gaping maw filled with nasty teeth of darkness, opening and closing as it laughed wholeheartedly, cackles that sounded like someone running their nails on a blackboard. Kirby watched the hammer with widening eyes, his heart stopping as he awaited that fateful hit-

Suddenly, a small shadow leaped over him and slammed into the King, swinging its metal boot right into the sensitive mouth on his belly. The king staggered and backed away, dropping his hammer as he wailed in pain, and Kirby watched the shadow land in front of him with wide eyes.

Meta Knight!

He wanted to call the knight but barely had time as he saw him ready a glowing Galaxia in a shaking hand, and Kirby found that his voice had completely left him. There was… something odd coming from his teacher… Something… dark… Something… akin… to the darkness emanating from King Dedede…

Before Meta Knight could spring into action once more, however, Galacta Knight suddenly leaped on the king from behind, opening a way as King Dedede raised his arms to try and grab the knight, and it was only then that Meta Knight held Galaxia in both hands and leaped forward.

In one swift and elegant move, the knight swung his glowing sword at the king, seemingly slicing right through the penguin, who suddenly opened his beak in a silent scream. There was no blood; no scratch; no slice, nothing… There was a bright flicker of light on the king's belly as the mouth suddenly screeched deafening screams and dissolved back into nothingness, dissipating back into the king's belly. King Dedede immediately lost all balance and fell over with a heavy _thud_ , forcing Galacta to jump off with a grunt.

For the first time since the start of the short fight, a calm silence filled the field, making the hiding villagers poke their heads out of their hiding spots, sending cautious and fearful gazes at the unconscious king. Still sprawled on the ground, Kirby heaved a deep sigh. Finally it was over… What a horrible sight this had been! He never would have thought the Dark Matter could change and morph someone in such a way… A dull pain was spreading from his cheek, and Kirby rubbed it as he sat up in the grass, trying to numb the itching. The villagers were coming out of hiding now, curiously approaching to see what was going on, but Kirby didn't care; in front of him, he saw Meta Knight hunch forward, coughing, and dread immediately filled the young warrior.

Without paying any attention to anything else, Kirby hurried to his feet and ran to his elder, just in time to keep him from falling over by grabbing his arm. Meta Knight's hand was in front of his visor, and Kirby briefly saw splotches of red staining the glove before he focussed on his eyes; they were… flickering between a range of colours varying between golden, orange and red, a mix of colours that made Kirby's heart palpitate suddenly.

"Meta Knight, are you okay?" he asked his elder, making a few others nearby turn to them.

Galacta Knight, who had been kneeling next to the unconscious king to observe his case closer, saw what was happening with his cousin, and with one flap of his wings he was standing close, asking urgently:

"Meta, did you take your goddamned medicine?"

The knight's answer… was a shake of the head.

"N… Not yet…"

Kirby felt a pinch on his heart when he heard those words; he sounded so… weak… His illness was getting worse by the minute. Was it… because of the Dark Matter? Were they the ones responsible for this? Galacta Knight quickly turned to Sword and Blade, who were standing nearby, and barked:

"What're y'all waiting for, go get his medicine now! And make it quick!"

With surprised gasps, the distraught knights only briefly hesitated before running off, without any words. Kirby looked back to Meta Knight when he felt the knight's hand on top of his own, and he met with his gaze; dim, yet softly glowing golden eyes that looked… relieved.

"Are you hurt, Kirby?"

As a reflex, the youngster quickly shook his head, placing his other hand on top of his numb cheek, saying:

"I'm fine, it's nothing. H-how did those Dark Matter get here?"

When he asked, Galacta Knight stepped a bit closer, intent too on hearing an answer to this question. Meta Knight gave a deep sigh, shaking his head as he replied in a low voice:

"I… failed. My duty was to make sure that the Dark Matter wouldn't find you, but it appears that they were hiding here unbeknownst to us. I know not how long they have been hiding in His Majesty, but we should count ourselves lucky that they chose him as a host. He may be a strong opponent, but His Majesty is relatively harmless and hardly has any ill intent. Remember, the Dark Matter get stronger the darker and more powerful one's soul is…"

After he finished speaking, he had to lower his head again as a coughing fit took over him once more, making Kirby rub his back while he waited for it to finish. Galacta Knight scoffed:

"I knew I should've paid more attention to this giant penguin…"

Before anyone else could add more, Kirby felt something crawl up his spine and he turned his head. King Dedede was still lying on the ground, unconscious, but the Waddle Dees that had surrounded him were now backing away, squeaking in fear as an ominous dark mist emanated from the large penguin.

Then, the shadows began to rise above the king, and suddenly numerous small black masses erupted out of the penguin, shooting high into the sky before skydiving straight toward them like missiles; their bright crimson eyes were nothing but blurs as they shrieked like infinite banshees. Everything that followed happened in a second's time.

The villagers screamed and began to run to hide again.

Galacta Knight flared his wings and made a step toward the others to shield them.

Fumu and Bun called out to Kirby and made a move to go to him.

Kirby's heart screamed; and he spun around Meta Knight to stand in front of him, raising his arms to the sides – a small and solid shield.

The cloud of Dark Matter came right upon him, and all of a sudden, Kirby was falling backward into infinity, into a world that dissipated into nothing but darkness.

With his own cries echoed his name, spoken in a voice that reverberated into all the dimensions.

"Kirby!"

* * *

Darkness.

It was all he knew; it was all he was.

He was alone, floating in this thick nothingness, himself nothing but an empty husk. His mind was naught but dust, his body a weightless feather. Barely shifting when a whisper came into him, like a worm wriggling its way in his insides, making him awfully aware of its presence.

The words from the shadows were kind; gentle; they were merciful. They were promising a perfect world.

We will give you everything.

They were promising him the secrets of the Universe.

There will be no more secrets from anyone. You will know everything.

You will _be_ everything.

The world around him shifted, and he was allowed a glimpse at something else; vast fields of green under a bright sun, with all of his friends in sight, all waving and calling to him, repeating his name and telling him how they loved him. Despite there being a sun, the sky was filled with thousands of bright, glowing stars upon a blanket of colourful matter, with galaxies, constellations and nebulas as far as the eye that lusted for wonder could see.

We will show you everything you want to see; even that which cannot be seen.

"Kirby."

He turned away from the wonders and faced a masked visage that he had longed to see for a long time. He smiled brightly and jumped into his arms, giving the elder a warm, cuddly hug. A gloved hand gently rubbed his head, and his voice was a kind melody that sang soothing lullabies into the dust of his mind.

"I am very proud of you, son. Do you like it here?"

With no mind to think, he nodded his head, tightening his grip on the knight as if he was afraid he would fade away.

"You may rest here, if you like. You worked so hard, you must be so exhausted."

As he drifted and dissolved into the warmth of the embrace, the lost child heard soft whispers once more, but they were different. It was a deep, rumbly voice, unknown yet so familiar, like he had never heard it but had listened for it for all of these years. It was singing in a tongue he didn't know, in a tone so low he had to hold his breath to listen to the unknown words. The voice… was speaking of times past, of lost legends and tales, of stars and life. He felt like he had heard those notes somewhere before… not so long ago…

"Do you want to stay here, my boy?" his guardian asked him, to which he smiled and nodded his head eagerly.

"Yes! I…! I love it here…"

"Then open your heart to me, Kirby. You can stay here, with me, forever. Is this not what you want?"

He was being pulled further into the warmth of the embrace, and he was nothing but a mass of numbness with no feeling of anything other than the arms he craved for, giving him all the love he had searched for.

"Yes," he answered in a dreamy tone. "Yes, I want to stay here… always…"

"Then close your eyes, boy, and let yourself go…"

"Kirby!"

Suddenly, the boy was pulled out of his dream and his eyes were forced to open, as if pulled apart by an unknown force; in front of him, Meta Knight grasped him by the arms, eyes glowing as brightly as he forced the boy to look at him, two lighthouses in the darkness of his empty mind.

"Kirby, focus! This is not real!"

Screams suddenly erupted all around them, so loud that Kirby flinched and brought his hands to his ears. Shadows and unseen forms began spiralling around them, screaming and screeching like ghosts, and though terribly afraid, Kirby was tempted to look at them, but Meta Knight's hand brought his face back in front, making him look at him.

"Focus! This world is an illusion, it doesn't exist. Listen to me, Kirby!"

Kirby stared deeply into the knight's eyes, so much so that their glowing irises were all he could see, and his voice was a wall between the shadowy screams and them, making this tiny world theirs and theirs only.

In those eyes, Kirby saw… everything. Everything opened to him, like a book suddenly unlocked and he was privy to all of its secret contents… and what he saw, he couldn't believe…

"Am… Am I dead…?" Kirby asked, feeling the dust of his mind spiral around and reform itself as it should be. "There was the Dark Matter, they… They were after you… And I… You… You are… You are the-"

"You shielded me," Meta Knight finished, his gaze taking on a softer glow. "And I am forever grateful to you for that gesture, but I cannot risk loosing you to those shadows. Hang on tight, Kirby. I will save you from this darkness. Such is my purpose."

"No, wait!"

But Kirby was too late; with a blink of his eye, Meta Knight was naught but a shadow that morphed away from him, leaving him alone in a world blacker than ink. The shadows with a thousand eyes were spiralling around him, screeching in fury and pain; everything spun so much that Kirby no longer knew where he was, no longer knew what he was.

He was light; a dim light that couldn't glow in such dense darkness, a small faint flame that a single breeze could snuff out in an instant, a tiny flicker of fragile life. And then, the spinning stopped. The screams ceased, the voices went silent. And Kirby was suddenly hit with such harsh loneliness, he felt his heart waver and shake as his own voice vanished.

He was alone.

Meta Knight was gone; and so were the Dark Matter…

But… why was he still here…? Why did he feel so… sad…?

Why did everything hurt so much, inside and outside, everywhere, all the time?

Time stood completely still.

One minute.

One hour.

One day.

One year.

It was all the same, indefinitely, and he floated and cried silently in this empty darkness, alone, for so, so long…

It took him years to push away the tears and the cork blocking his throat. His voice felt like it didn't belong to him.

"Is anybody there?"

Suddenly, a gasp, hidden in the darkness. Silence, for a moment that felt like an eternity, and then a new voice; one he felt like he had heard once before. A young, high-pitched voice, one that had the capacity to be light-hearted and kind, but was low and cautious, reeking of a deep, hidden sadness.

"Who… Who's there?" the voice said in a foreign accent, echoing from nothing, reverberating in nothing and duplicating in nothing.

"I can't see you," Kirby responded, swallowing whatever sorrow was blocking his throat. "Where are you? What's your name?"

"I'm not telling you my name," the voice answered in a severely cautious tone that was quickly filled with a familiar sorrow. "No one cares about my name, anyway. No one cares about me… I can't see you either. I'm… lost…"

" _I_ care about your name," the boy answered, trying not to let this sad voice bring him back down into the maws of sorrow. "Mine's Kirby. I… I think I'm lost too… H-how did you get-"

But before the question could finish forming itself on his tongue, he felt himself being pulled back, and he was falling once more, endlessly, screaming silent screams and calling silent calls to whoever was left to hear them in this infinite darkness.

He fell for what felt like an eternity that spread over the fraction of a second; in the end, what could have happened in a thousand years vanished in an instant. Suddenly, a world formed around him as if he was falling right into an aquarium and he fell on the hard ground with a _thud_. With a heavy grunt, Kirby raised his head, scratching his forehead, and was surprised to see he was laying in grass.

"Kirby! Kirby!"

"Hold him still! Sword, get that medicine over, Meta Knight's dyin' over here!"

"Stop yelling in my ear, I'm not dying…"

Kirby turned around, shocked to hear his name being called with such distress, but what he found shocked him even more. Everyone – Fumu, Bun, Azure, Meta Knight, Galacta Knight, Sword, Blade and even the villagers who were keeping their distance – were surrounding… him. He saw _himself_ ; he was laying in the grass, shaking and struggling, screaming even as Bun and Blade were doing their best to hold him down. The sounds coming out of his mouth were inhumane; gurgles and screeches not just by his own voice, but by many others, reverberating over each other endlessly. Azure was barking, as if attempting to drown the sounds his young master was making, and his tail was tucked in between his legs as he was scared of what darkness stood in front of him. Kirby couldn't believe his eyes.

Why… was he laying there, while he was standing over here?

"Uhm," he mumbled at first, finding it hard to muster any strength to his voice, "guys? I'm here! Guys!"

But no one responded to his calls, and when he stepped closer, it was as if none of them could see him. Confused and distraught, the scared young one looked at each of their faces, trying to find comfort or proof that this wasn't real, but when he looked at Meta Knight, he realized that this was, indeed, all too real. His mentor was standing at his side, with one hand touching his forehead while the body under his shaking palm struggled violently, and the knight's eyes were closed tightly. Meta Knight grunted when Sword came to his side and inserted a needle in his arm, injecting an unknown liquid which Kirby could only guess was the medicine he had to take everyday, and the knight appeared to calm a bit.

Kirby stepped a bit closer to the knight. What… was he doing? Was this why… he had seen him, in the dreamscape the Dark Matter had made for him? Was this why he had been able to escape their infinite grasps? But how? And why was he here, unseen by anybody?!

"Guys!" he called again, feeling more and more distressed as he backed away from the horrific scene, unable to comprehend what was truly happening. "Guys, I'm right here! Please, look at me!"

But, once again, no one answered, and Kirby couldn't help but let out a long-held sob; he hiccuped, trying to breathe in to keep calm, but wasn't able to. Just like in the darkness, he was alone… completely alone…

"Kirby."

He gasped; that voice sounded so close to his ear! He whipped around, but found no one, and when he continued spinning with no luck, the unknown voice continued speaking to him.

"Can you hear me, Kirby?"

"Uh," he hesitated, clearly confused by such strange events. "Y-yeah… W-who are you? _Where_ are you? Are you that voice from earlier in the darkness?"

The new voice reverberated around him, inside him, and Kirby looked at the sky as he listened, watching the sun as it was going down on the horizon. The voice was male, calm and collected, gentle and kind… and, somewhat, familiar…

"I am an old friend that you have yet to meet. Have no fear, Kirby, you are safe here, thanks to Meta Knight. His efforts in driving out the Dark Matter from your body are successful, but you must listen carefully. His life is on the line. Surely, by now, you understood what he is, and what he has been for the last three months."

Kirby looked down, and stared back at the scene before him; from where he stood, he could stare at Meta Knight's back, and as he looked intently… he could distinguish something, moving slightly in spasms underneath his cape… like worms wriggling under a skin… He gulped his sorrow down and nodded his head. From however brief they had connected earlier, it had been enough for him to know.

"He's… He's the demon-beast… He's the one who attacked Dyno, and he's the one we've been looking for… All this time, he was right there… and he didn't say a word…"

Somehow, he wasn't even surprised; it did explain some things in his behaviour he had found a bit odd, and perhaps it explained his sickness, or some part of it. Although he wasn't surprised, Kirby certainly felt one thing, heavily weighting on his tiny heart; betrayal. Why hadn't he told him…? Didn't he… trust him…?

"You are correct," the ethereal voice continued speaking in his ears. "He has done everything possible to hide it for all this time, but there must come a time when even the body cannot follow the will of the mind, and that time has come. Listen well, Kirby. The laws that bind me do not allow me to tell you everything, but I can guide you. When you will be freed from the Dark Matter, you will wake, and from the moment you do, you will have but one goal. Find the person to whom you spoke in the darkness. That person is lost, and if help doesn't come for them, many will pay the price. This, Kirby, is your only goal. Do you understand me?"

"But, who is that person?" Kirby asked, confused as he raised his eyes to the sky again. "And how can I find them if they're lost? I don't even know how I got there in the first place! And I still don't know if I can trust you!"

To his surprise, the voice chuckled; a nice sound, he had to admit, that flew nicely through his head.

"You will in time, young Star Warrior. You have the power to save those who are lost, and on the way, you might very well save many more."

Kirby was about to answer to this cryptic message when he heard a most horrible scream echo above his own thoughts, and he had to look down again; his own body was squirming and struggling violently as he trashed about, even more so than before, and suddenly, he saw Meta Knight lift his other arm in the opposite direction. From his open hand, a plume of dark smoke suddenly shot out of his palm, and the ball of darkness screeched as it dissolved before their very eyes. The villagers who were surrounding the area screamed when it appeared and disappeared, and they panicked more when even more Dark Matter shot out of the knight's hand. Kirby couldn't look away.

"What… What is he doing?" he asked in a weak voice, flinching when he saw Meta Knight struggle to hold his arm up. "He's hurting himself! I gotta make him stop!"

"Meta Knight," the voice spoke once more, "is a Star Warrior with many hidden powers. Right now, he is using them to channel the Dark Matter that are hosting your body through his own, so he can destroy them without harming you. It is a painful process, but one that works, and one he has done more than once in the past. However, in his weakened state…"

Already ten Dark Matter had shot out of his palm, and just as an eleventh one dissipated in the air, Meta Knight found himself completely out of breath, and his arm became limp. Kirby saw that his own body had calmed down; he was no longer screaming and struggling, and already he could feel himself become lighter and lighter. He looked down at his hands, and saw that he was becoming transparent, like he was starting to fade away. Quickly, he looked up at the sky and asked:

"Wait! Who are you? Just give me your name!"

The voice rewarded him with another chuckle, and that one sounded so familiar, Kirby could swear he had heard the very same a long, long time ago…

"My name is Vei. We shall meet once again one day, Kirby, face to face, and by then, everything will be made clear to you. Good luck, Kirby of the Stars. Hard times are coming your way… but you will pull through. I just know it."

And then, Vei's voice became naught but an echo that reverberated in his mind again and again, and the world filled with nothing but white and warm light. Kirby felt himself being quietly pulled up into the sky as all weights lifted off of his ethereal body… and then nothing.

* * *

He could hear nothing.

He could see nothing.

He could feel nothing.

His was a world of infinite nothingness, a heavy burden to bear for such small shoulders, for such weak yet pure a soul.

"…kirby…!..."

"…give 'em space, let 'em breathe, c'mon, shoo!…"

Without his consent, his eyelids slightly parted, only to close once more. The light was so bright! Had he spent this much time in the darkness to be this sensitive to this familiar plane? Everything was a blur, everything was heavy, everything was hurting…

"He's waking up…!"

"Sir Meta Knight, are you alright?"

A series of coughs, all too familiar, all too harsh…

"Yes… Just… Someone bring me water, please…"

That voice… Somehow, Kirby didn't know whether he wanted to hear it or not. Something in this voice… was now gone. Perhaps it couldn't go past the ruins of the wall that stood between them like a barrier that couldn't be taken down, perhaps it couldn't filter through the cracks, it couldn't reach him. Something in this voice was lost; or, perhaps, _he_ was the lost one…

His eyes attempted to open again, this time with some more success; his eyelids opened to the world he cherished, but when he tried to slide his arms under him to straighten up, and he laid his gaze on this land of dreams… he found he had no feelings for it. Not even joy, not even sadness; just… nothing. Kirby lifted an empty gaze at those who cared for him, and they all smiled upon seeing that he was awake, they all acclaimed him, they all praised him, but he had done nothing, and he knew it. All he did, was stand in front of a force he was not ready to face yet. He was too weak, it was too soon, and now more than ever, Kirby was realizing it; _he was weak._

He looked up at the man that sat a short distance in front of him; Meta Knight was slouched on the ground, still trying to catch his breath. A kind cappy arrived with a plastic cup filled with water she had salvaged from the ruined party tables, and the knight thanked her, but when he looked back in front of him and both of them met gazes, something inside Kirby exploded. Tears welled up in his eyes like a pool filling up, but the reservoir didn't flood, and his insides suddenly tensed up, like something was pulling everything back. Kirby had saved him; and this man had saved him back. Once again, Meta Knight should be the one to receive the praises that showered onto him; but the knight's tired eyes smiled a smile that spoke a thousand words. He was relieved. So was Kirby.

The strange little something that was inside Kirby suddenly pushed him to his feet, and despite the complaints from those around him, he sprang forward toward this blessed man – the one he had chosen to be his father – and buried his face in his arms, holding back his sobs as he hugged the daylights out of him. Meta Knight was surprised at such vigor at first, and though he clearly hesitated in front of all of these people, he quickly relaxed, and with a deep and exhausted sigh, he put a comforting hand on the youth's back.

For a very short moment, they sat in silence, content… until the harsh realization dawned on Kirby. With eyes wide open, the young Kiridan suddenly pushed himself out of the embrace, surprising not only the one he was hugging but everyone else around them, as his harsh movements were quite uncharacteristic. Kirby backed away from the knight, blinking eyes that could see nothing else but the truth. He was looking at a knight, but he was looking at something else, hidden beneath the mask and the cape and the armour, something primal, something that shouldn't be there but had been there all along. Meta Knight looked at him, looking concerned with his behaviour, and asked in a hoarse voice:

"Kirby, are you feeling alright?"

But the boy could do nothing but step away from him, from the darkness he was hiding and harvesting, and it was only when someone touched his arm that he quickly turned his head to Fumu with a surprised gasp. Fumu appeared terribly worried, and she asked, in the same tone as Meta Knight:

"Kirby, what's the matter? Why are you acting like that, it's just Meta Knight. Are you okay?"

"Lad, you should sit down," he heard from the other side, making him whip his head to Galacta Knight, who appeared to him like a horned devil. "You're still shaken up, and getting back from a Dark Matter possession will take time. Sit down, it's alright."

But Kirby would hear none of that, he pushed Fumu's hand away from him and looked back at Meta Knight, feeling something horrible grow in him, something dark and sad and so, so heavy it dragged him down into the mud as he stuttered:

"Y-You…! You're the demon-beast!"

There were gasps all around, and all eyes turned to Meta Knight, who remained sitting on the ground, motionless even as Kirby exclaimed:

"It-it was you all along! For three months it's been you! You've been acting like you knew nothing of it, but all along you were lying! All of you! All liars!"

He spun around, darting his judgemental and dark oceanic eyes on Sword, Blade, Galacta Knight, and even Bun, to whom he yelled, in a voice that broke in a thousand shards:

"You _lied_ to me! You told me you didn't find it, but you were in on that lie all this time, you stupid jerk!"

"Kirby," Bun didn't know what to say, he didn't know how to react, he was stuttering and looking at Sword and Blade for directions.

"It was for your own good, Kirby," Sword then said, making him turn to the stoic knight. "We were ordered to keep quiet, for your own good."

"My own good?!" Kirby repeated, louder, taking a step forward. "This is bullshit! _I could have helped!_ And you decided to push me away!"

He turned to Galacta Knight and pointed a hand toward him, startling him slightly.

"You knew it too! All this time, you were here to hunt him down and you did nothing! You're just like all the others! A bunch of liars!"

Without waiting for a response, without listening to the little voice screaming at him to stop in his head, without controlling any of his words and any of his movements, he turned back to Meta Knight, who hadn't moved an inch, and emptied his heart like a full bucket suddenly tipping over.

"Why didn't you tell me!" he yelled as loud as his poor lungs could in a voice that didn't belong to him. "I trusted you! Don't you trust me?! After all this time?! You told me you'd stop keeping secrets from me! I don't care about that stupid present of yours anymore, I want answers _now!_ Tell me, Meta Knight! Why won't you _trust me_?!"

"Kirby," Meta Knight said in a heavy voice, "you must calm down. You are still under the effect of the Dark Matter, you are not-"

"Don't you _fucking dare_ change the subject!" the young man cut him off briskly, taking everyone by surprise with such foul language. "Answer me!"

The knight heaved a sigh, and in the silence that followed, all eyes turned to him. For a moment, he didn't move, as if he was thinking. He opened his eyes, eyes that suddenly grew hard as steel and as unreadable as a locked book. With a grunt, he took his cane in hand and stood up, lifting his hand to stop Sword and Blade when they made a move to help him, and he stood as tall as he could, looking down at Kirby with eyes that dug right through the youth's unexplained anger, right down to the shivering soul hiding underneath. He said, with a clear voice:

"You are right. Three months ago, I drank a poison that was meant for you, and I became infected with a serum that forces me to act like a mindless demon. It is true, that night, I prowled the town and destroyed everything, and even hurt your friend. That night, I feasted on fear, and that primal side of me thoroughly enjoyed it."

He made a brief pause, during which a loud rumour spread across the crowd, which stepped away from the knight, cowering in fear, but Kirby didn't move an inch; that nasty burning something in him was clawing away at his chest, it was impossible to hold it in, he wanted to punch him so badly it ached.

"You are right," the knight continued in the same, clear and loud voice. "I deliberately lied to you, so you wouldn't try to find out what had happened. So you wouldn't step away from your training. I saw no reason why you should bother yourself with this, and I still stand by this opinion today. There is no reason why me being the demon-beast should make you stray from your training, nor should it matter. I… am in complete control of it now."

His eyes grew piercing, and for a short instant, Kirby saw a red drop flash in his bright irises, forcing the little something to cower in fear at the mere sight of that crimson blood.

"Now," he spoke harshly. "Sit. Down."

Kirby wanted to sit; he wanted to just fall down and never stand again; he wanted to curl up into a ball and let all of his fears get washed away by the rising tide; but that nasty little something in him cackled and growled:

"No. I'm not gonna listen to a liar like you anymore! I hate you! I-I ha-…!"

Suddenly, a weight appeared in his chest and shoved forward against his insides, making him lurch forward with a sharp gasp. Darkness ate away at the edges of his vision, forcing him to close his eyes, but even in the safety of his empty mind… an eye stared back at him. Crimson. Burning. Laughing. It was at this moment, that Kirby realized his mistake.

And what a grave mistake he had made.

Hahahahahaha!

He had let it-

Hahahahahahahahaha!

He had allowed it-

Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha!

He had given it full access to all of his fears and worries, all of his misconceptions, all of his questions, and it had turned it all around. He had made a terrible mistake, _the most terrible mistake of all_ , and now he and Meta Knight would both pay the price.

"Kirby!"

He forced his eyes to open, and cascades of tears flew down his cheeks as he raised his defeated head to Meta Knight; the kind knight was holding his arms, keeping him locked in place, and was looking deep into his eyes, searching for that one eye that had evaded him… and he found it too late.

"Everybody, run! Now!" he called out to all around them, but he was too late.

Suddenly, without warning, darkness consumed Kirby whole and the boy lost consciousness. His frail body violently expelled a large drop of darkness that had but a short distance to go to reach its fated destination; it shot right into Meta Knight, who was too weak to evade, and a sudden shock wave quickly sent both Kirby and Meta Knight flying opposite ways. Kirby limply fell into the arms of Fumu and Bun and the scared villagers, while Meta Knight was sent much farther back, crashing into the ruins of Kirby's birthday party. Sword, Blade and Galacta Knight all ran over to him and called him, but alas; Meta Knight was lost…

"Kirby!" Fumu called to her little brother, only to find him completely unresponsive. "Kirby! What happened?!"

"Crap!" Bun swore as he opened one of Kirby's eyelids to look at his blank stare. "There was one last of them in him! No wonder he was acting like that!"

Both of them looked up toward the ruins of the party while the villagers around them were panicking and spreading out, asking muted questions that flew way past their ears. They watched helplessly and nervously as the three knights gathered around the limp form of Meta Knight, and as soon as Sword and Galacta Knight lifted the remains of a table from on top of him, Blade dove right in to see to his lord's well-being, but to their surprise, Meta Knight immediately raised an arm and pushed the young knight away, forcing the other two to remain at a distance. Meta Knight's breathing was heavy, erratic, he was trying to get up but couldn't, something was wriggling wildly under his cape and they could see claws and skin flashing between the folds of the fabric. After observing him for a short moment, Galacta Knight quickly raised his eyes toward the watching crowd and hollered with a sharp wave of his arm:

"Everyone, go! Go to the village and take shelter! _Now!_ "

It didn't take another order for the villagers to start running, screaming and yelling in fear of what may happen, but Fumu and Bun both stayed there a moment longer, with Kirby still limp and unconscious in their arms.

"Bun!" Sword called out, immediately getting the youth's attention. "Take Kirby to town! We'll take care of things here! Go!"

Swallowing down whatever anguish was blocking his throat, Bun gave a solid nod of his head and quickly gathered Kirby in his arms, taking his sister's hand to help her up. Without question, they both turned around and ran off, despite Fumu casting one last glance back, one last fearful and hopeful glance; this would end badly, she just knew it…

The only one that remained behind despite all of the panic, was Azure. The young demon-beast ran over to his master, barking loudly as he stuffed his face in his to make sure he was alright. Meta Knight, who was still lying on the ground, briefly met gazes with the wolf; the knight's eyes flashed a bright red, and Azure's eyes mimicked their colour in an instant. Meta Knight's shaky hand raised itself from the grass he had been grasping, and as tenderly as he could, he petted his wolf on the muzzle, never once breaking eye contact.

"Azure," he spoke with a broken voice he was clearly struggling to hold still, "listen t-to me-e. G-go to Kirby, and protect him. Unt-t-til I say otherwise, p-protect Kirby with all your might. N-no matter how long it takes me to come back… protect him. U-unders-t-tood?"

Azure had understood everything. With a blink of his tall eyes, the Wolfwrath answered with a nod of his head and a tiny whine. Meta Knight petted him a bit more, before the shaking took over his arm and forced him to grasp the grass under him, grunting in pain as a violent spasm took over him.

"G-good boy… Now go!"

Although he seemed to hesitate at first, Azure raised his head and backed away, his tail tucking itself between his legs. Seeing his master in such pain was hard for the little pup, but listening to his orders came before all of his feelings. With a tiny howl, Azure bounced away and ran off as fast as he could toward the town, tracking down Kirby's heat signal; he did not look back.

* * *

"The serum isn't working, Blade! He's turning again!"

"Do we need a bigger dose?! I-I don't have the time to make more, that's all we got!"

"We gotta do something! Will a placebo work?"

"I don't know!"

Sword and Blade were starting to panic, and Galacta Knight had nothing to tell them to calm them down. He never was the better speaker to bring peace to soldiers' minds, that was Arthur's job. When the mercenary saw his cousin whrite on the ground in agony, he quickly acted; he grabbed his cousin by the arms and lifted him up to hold him tight in his arms, but all Meta Knight did was groan louder and try and kick his legs.

"Meta!" Galacta called to him, receiving an animal-esque growl as an answer. "Meta, listen to me! Look at me, Meta! Hey!"

He could see, in the fading light of his eyes, that he was already loosing his way and could not see, and it made him hug his little cousin even tighter. Under his arms in his back, he could feel _them_ wriggling, like alien worms ready to burst out…

"I know it hurts, Meta, but remember!" he told his brother in his ear above his grunts and growls. "Remember the good times, Meta. Remember when we pranked your dad and had him believe you turned into a sheep? He actually believed it! Remember how much fun we had! And when you first found Jecra, you loved the little guy immediately! Remember Jecra?"

Meta Knight growled a deep and guttural groan that seemed to echo forever, as if it didn't come from this world, and his shaking grew even more. The words that came out of his mouth were seething with countless emotions, so many that one couldn't tell what they were. Joy? Anger? Sadness? Confusion? Or all of them at once?

"Y-You… Y-You weren't there…"

Galacta held his breath; two voices were speaking. Meta's. And the Dark Matter's. One and the same, combined to create a voice darker even than Nightmare himself…

"W-While we were b-being massacred…"

Galacta suddenly felt the knight in his arms tense up, and a force began to push his arms away, as if trying to free itself from his embrace, but the mercenary held on as solidly as he could, he held on to Meta Knight's flickering flame as long as he could, he wouldn't see it fade just yet!

"Y-You… were gone… You ran away… You…"

The voices were interrupted by what sounded like a hiccup; and then, a growing beast-like growl that came from deep within resounded in the air.

"You _abandoned me!_ "

Suddenly, another shock wave brutally threw all three knights away from the possessed Kiridan, who shrieked a most terrible beast-like scream that echoed far beyond the hills and meadows and silenced the world itself and reduced it to muted ashes. With a grunt, Galacta jumped back to his feet; the knight was holding his head and was struggling to even stay still. A dark smoke was starting to leak out of his body, surrounding him in a thick aura that seemed to almost take control of his arms and legs, making him waddle forward and backward as he screamed and gurgled in pain.

And then, in one swift movement, he turned to Galacta Knight; his eyes were bloodshot, bright crimson pools of anger and hate, all fuelled by years of silence. With a deep beastly growl, the knight lowered himself to the ground, where his hands clenched the grass, and then, _they_ appeared.

In one move, his cape lifted itself and morphed and transformed into two, large, draconic wings that stretched high above him and flared like two separate beasts hissing at their prey. Completely taken over by his primal instincts, Meta Knight hissed at Galacta Knight, but before he could pounce at him, both Sword and Blade jumped on their lost lord, taking him by surprise as he was pinned to the ground.

The struggle for power was brief; before they could get a hold of them, his wings suddenly pushed both knights off of him, and Meta Knight mindlessly leaped toward Galacta Knight, his only target. With a quick flap of his wings, Galacta evaded the attack, but as Meta Knight crashed into the ground and shrieked again in anger, Galacta was presented with a long, perfect second to strike back… but he didn't.

He couldn't attack him. He would never be able to.

Galacta jumped back and back again, evading Meta Knight's quickest attacks at the last possible moment, and he knew he couldn't go on like this forever. When the time came, they both leaped at each other, and the mercenary immediately threw his shield right into Meta Knight's mask, sending the demon-beast crashing to the ground with a heavy _thud_. Galacta Knight flew back down to Sword and Blade, keeping his sights set on Meta Knight's already recovering form.

"What's the plan, lads, and make it quick!" he hollered to Sword and Blade, who both hesitated before speaking up.

"We have these," Sword replied immediately as he raised a much smaller syringe containing a different liquid than the previous medicine. "They're for emergencies, but if we can get him with both, it should calm him down enough to think of another tactic."

"We just have to hold him still long enough," Blade finished, making Galacta grunt and shake his head.

"This is gonna be rough," he mumbled to himself, watching dreadfully as his possessed cousin rolled in the ashen grass, holding his face as he shrieked horrible words in their native tongue.

Meta Knight quickly shook his head and raised himself on all fours, flapping his wings angrily as he spun around, mindlessly searching for his prey. When he turned to the three of them, his eyes flashed brightly, but only for a brief second; suddenly, it seemed as though those eyes were flickering in and out, and Meta Knight groaned in pain before crashing his face into the ground, holding his head as he visibly struggled for control.

"Now's the time!" Galacta hollered, and the two knights behind him ran at full speed toward their lord, syringes in hand.

However, they had barely crossed half the distance when he raised his head and looked at them, making them gasp out in shock and skid to a stop. Galacta's eyes widened. He had seen other people in his life get captured by the Dark Matter and morphed into unspeakable beasts, but none of them were as painful to look at than his own cousin and brother.

Meta Knight's eyes were gone; replaced by the one crimson pupil of the Dark Matter, its iris shone brightly in the visor of Meta Knight's mask, which had a long crack spreading out from where Galacta had hit him with his shield. For a moment that seemed to last forever, they all stood still, and that lone eye stared at them, as if seeing them for the first time. And then he laughed.

A quiet, calm chuckle at first, it quickly raised into a heartfelt laugh, yet one that reeked of evil intentions and one that echoed around them like it was the only sound allowed to exist at this very moment in time.

Galacta Knight saw Blade back away first, soon followed by Sword, and the mercenary stared at his morphed cousin… and he repeated those words to himself.

 _This isn't Meta Knight._

He repeated them again and again, until the moment when he stared at the knight in front of him, he saw no brother, but only a beast; a beast he was here to capture. He never killed his catch. He only captured them. He would do the same here and now, no matter who was beneath that blue skin, no matter who controlled it. The mercenary flared his wings and took a fighting stance, one that made Meta Knight react; the demon-beast cocked his head to the side, and chuckled again. Suddenly, they both leaped at each other, ready to take this to the next level.

* * *

Slowly, Kirby awakened. At first, the sounds echoing around him were muted down to soft and distant whispers, but soon, he could hear them speak clearly.

"Of all the things that could happen today…"

"Y'all stop complainin', ye ain't the one that had to get these things beaten out of you!"

"Oh just shut up, Dedede. You're not well placed to complain either! What's telling us that you didn't plan this from the start, eh?!"

"You suggestin' I _invited_ these things in my belly?! You're out of yer mind, knight-boy! I didn't even know these things existed before five minutes ago!"

"Well that doesn't change anything, now does it? If you hadn't brought these things here, Sir Meta Knight wouldn't be in such a mess!"

"Stop yelling, both of you! You're not helping!"

"He started it, _zoy_ …"

Kirby's mind was starting to fall back into place, one piece at a time. He felt so dizzy… Slowly, he tried opening his eyes, but had to close them; he clenched his hands into fists, holding on tightly to whatever that warm thing he was holding was. He felt like he was on a spinning disk that wouldn't stop spinning and spinning, but luckily for him, the sensation didn't last. After a short minute, he felt like the spinning was stopping, and he attempted opening his eyes again. The first thing he saw was a sight for sore eyes; the blurry form in front of him soon showed itself to be Fumu, who leaned closer to him to look him over. She smiled, warmly, and he found out that it was her hand he was holding.

"How are you feeling, Kirby?" she asked, running her other hand on his forehead, either to feel his temperature or comfort him.

He tried to say that he was feeling sick, but he ended up mumbling half of his sentence, munching his way through his words. His mouth felt sore and numb, and his lungs were hurting…

"It's alright, take your time. You're safe here."

Kirby looked up beyond her; they were in the main plaza of the town, and he was sitting on the bench under the great tree. Around them were many villagers, all huddled together worriedly looking over to him and murmuring among each other. Nearby, he saw Bun, he saw his friends, and in their eyes, he was reminded of what had happened, before he could even ask.

"Hey, Kirby," he heard from Bun, making him look up at him. "You alright…? You scared the life out of us back there…"

Kirby remembered. He had said horrible things to him, horrible things to all of them… horrible things to Meta Knight… He looked down at his hands, and slowly shook his head.

"Aye, don't look so down, squirt!" he heard, making his eyes widen.

He looked up and turned toward King Dedede, who sat nearby as well; the mere sight of him made his blood boil…

"A'least," he said, "we ain't got a one-time villain destroyin' the town this time 'round. You just gotta beat the crap out of Meta Knight and it'll be done!"

"It won't be as easy as that," Bun answered in place of Kirby, making everyone look at him.

The boy looked terribly concerned, and he looked in the distance toward the castle, where a distant inhumane scream echoed distantly, a dark proof of the things going down over there. He sighed deeply.

"You guys don't really know… how scary strong Meta Knight is. All the skills he showed us in the past were a joke. I'm pretty sure he was faking all of them too."

"Bun, what are you talking about?" Fumu asked her brother.

"Yeah, I mean, how strong could he be?" Dedede asked as well, shrugging his shoulders. "Can't be stronger than a normal demon-beast, _zoy_?"

Again, Bun shook his head and looked back at them, his face looking a bit more pale than it previously did.

"Oh yeah, sure, he's as strong as a demon-beast, that's for sure. A class S demon-beast. With powers capable of destroying all of us in an instant. Sure. Easy."

A louder rumour then spread over the crowd; how strong could Meta Knight truly be?!

"Bun," Kirby then said, bringing the eyes onto him.

Kirby cast a tired gaze at his best friend, bringing with it his share of guilt over all the things that were said and unsaid.

"I… I don't care… that you've been keeping secrets from me for three months…," he said calmly. "But… next time, tell me the important stuff _before_ my birthday. I just want to enjoy my cake in peace, you know…"

"Yeah," Bun sighed heavily with a short nod. "Will do…"

Kirby was thinking about Meta Knight. The horrible things he had told him… And now, because of him, he was prisoner to the Dark Matter! What could he do? He felt so… helpless. Weak. So, so exhausted, too… If he could just close his eyes, and realize that all of this was nothing but a bad dream…

"Hey, squirt! Lighten up, will ya?"

He looked up toward Dedede, who was smirking as if none of this was of great matter to him.

"This can't be worse than anything else that ever happened 'ere," he said. "This ain't nothing a good beatin' can't solve! If Meta Knight ain't himself, then a good smack of mah hammer ought to wake him right up!"

"Are you crazy?" Bun interrupted him. "The guy's already half-dead, do you want to kill him?!"

"Then what do _you_ propose, smart boy?" Dedede retorted, crossing his arms. "I don't see you coming up with ideas!"

"I'm thinking about it!" Bun called back, annoyed with the king's antics.

"Well, think faster!" Dedede answered, making the annoyed cappy groan loudly. "He beat me up with his sword, so why wouldn't mah hammer work? Right pinkie?"

But Kirby remained quiet… eerily quiet… So much so that Dedede seemed to consider closing his beak at last, but then he said:

"Hey! I'm talkin' to you squi-"

"I. Heard. You!" Kirby almost barked, making everyone nearby take a step back.

He cast an angry stare toward the king, who gulped down. He wasn't used to seeing such a stare from the usually happy Kirby… But then, Kirby's short spout of anger dissipated, and the poor kid hid his face in his arms, as if he was regretting speaking like that. A first hiccup erupted from his form, followed by a few others that made his body shake…

"Sorry," they heard him mumble pitifully. "I'm not feeling okay… I-I said horrible stuff… I didn't… I didn't mean to… Meta Knight… he thinks I hate him now… It's my fault he's in pain… Just because of that stupid cup of wine!..."

While Kirby gently and calmly weeped, Fumu sat down on the bench next to him and gladly took him in a warm and cuddly hug, one that she knew he needed. Kirby leaned against her, gladly accepting the hug, and he rubbed the tears away from his eyes, saying weakly:

"I'm pretty sure… the only reason the Dark Matter came out of you, Triple D, was because he was using Galaxia…"

"His sword?" Dedede repeated, arching an eyebrow. "It could work on him too then! Where is it?"

Bun then brought his hand to his eyes, rubbing his forehead with a defeated sigh.

"Meta Knight still has it…"

"Oh, great!" The king exclaimed sarcastically, dramatically throwing his arms in the air. "We just gotta ask him then! Who volunteers to go get it? Escargon?"

"Do _not_ make me do this, Your Majesty!" the old snail exclaimed fearfully, sliding back as if he was afraid that he wasn't joking. "If anything, Sir Galacta Knight is the one who should do it!"

Before anyone else could add on to this ridiculous proposition, a high-pitched bark echoed down the main street, making everyone look up. Azure suddenly appeared running up the street toward them at full speed, bouncing rapidly in a straight line with his claws rattling against the paved road. Kirby lightly smiled when he saw him; good, at least he wasn't hurt. But when Azure arrived, he halted right in front of Kirby and whipped around, tail raised high and head low in a defensive manner. He was growling, louder and louder, and it took but an instant to know why.

Suddenly, they heard a devilish scream, louder than the ones they had heard in the distance, closer, and then, they appeared; first, Galacta Knight, flying over a house as if he had been propelled from the other side. He landed right in the plaza with a backflip, keeping his wings wide open as he bent forward, holding his lance and shield up. Then, Meta Knight appeared; perching on the roof of a house, he was nowhere near the familiar and friendly shape everyone used to see perched on the roofs. He was surrounded in a thick, dark and dancing aura that, from a distance, almost looked like fiery black hair, and the horrific wings producing from his back made the villagers scream in terror and run away even further. What struck Kirby the most, as he stared with wide eyes at his old teacher, was what shone in the distorted visor of his mask; a single, bloodshot eye, round and wide and piercing. The eye of the Dark Matter.

Meta Knight quickly leaped from the roof, opening his large wings as he flew in a straight and blurred line toward the mercenary; at the last second, Galacta Knight jumped forward with his shield raised up and delivered a single strong hit on the knight's mask, sending him flying to the side. Meta Knight skidded on the ground, but he quickly recovered and stood on all fours like an animal, shaking his head as he growled deeply. Both him and Galacta Knight circled each other, not once getting distracted by anything else going on around them, and while they did so, Kirby saw it; Galaxia's hilt, still in her scabbard, untouched. There it was. If he could get his hands on it, maybe he could get the Sword ability and use Galaxia's light to force the Dark Matter out. It clearly worked for Dedede, so why not for him? What else was there to try but that?

As Galacta Knight circled his lost cousin, Kirby saw him put away his lance in his back between his wings; instead, he took something from his belt that, from a distance, looked like a simple metal disk, and took a defensive stance, flaring his wings on either sides of his body as if trying to appear much bigger. It was as if Meta Knight hadn't seen him pull the object out, and the demon-beast suddenly screeched like a banshee before leaping forward, beating his large wings into the dust.

Galacta ran forward, barely dodged a claw by bending backward, and quickly grabbed Meta Knight by the foot before harshly pulling him back along with him, making the knight bark out in surprise. Like a pro that had done this very thing hundreds of times before now, Galacta pinned Meta Knight to the ground and smashed the metal disk right in the knight's back, before flapping his wings and jumping back a few feet, quickly taking his distance again.

Meta Knight stood up, bending his arms above his head to try and get this thing off of him, but as he was waddling around and struggling, the disk suddenly activated; in a bright flash of blue light, an energy field then spread from the disk, immediately wrapping itself around the knight like a tight net, causing him to scream out in anger and fall to the ground, helpless.

"Alright lads, now!" Galacta then called out, just as Sword and Blade were arriving in the plaza, out of breath from having ran all this way on foot.

The two knights ran over to their lord, who was struggling wildly on the ground and attempting to open his wings, and though they were worried that the net wouldn't withstand his inhumane strength, they still set to work and held him down against the ground. They both pulled small syringes from their belts and struck Meta Knight in the arms with them, but the knight's one eye immediately widened and the trashing became far worse, forcing the two knights to back away immediately. Meta Knight managed to find his way back on his feet and, still struggling violently, he started pushing the net away from him with his arms and wings. Galacta Knight stepped closer, and he hollered toward Sword and Blade:

"Did you give him all of it? Why isn't he calming down?"

"It should work!" Blade assured, though he sounded very unsure of his words.

"It worked the last time he went crazy, it should still work now," Sword said, still keeping on his guard as he observed his mad lord.

Meta Knight pushed and pushed the net apart with more and more strength, until the energy net ripped apart to pieces, destroying the imprisoning disk. The knight limped forward a few steps, his movements slowing down and shaking his head as if he was feeling dizzy, but it wasn't enough. As soon as he raised his eye, he met gazes with Kirby, who could only stare back, just as immobile. It was as if just looking at him made the dark matter floating around his form shrink, more and more, and his lone eye was shaking, as if it couldn't look away. And, without fighting more, the eye slowly closed, and Meta Knight collapsed in a cloud of dust.

* * *

As soon as he fell, the three knights all heaved a sigh of relief, and Sword and Blade both went to their lord's side to roll him on his back. To the villagers' surprise, they were incredibly gentle with his wings, as if they had already done that before. Kirby didn't know what to think.

"Is… Is he… dead?" he couldn't help but ask, making Sword look up at him.

"No, not at all," the knight shook his head. "It's a strong sedative. To use only in emergencies such as this. I was hoping we wouldn't have to use them… Although, I don't know how long the effect will last in his state… His breathing is already…"

"Kirby," Galacta Knight called out as he walked toward his cousin, making the young Star Warrior look up at him. "Come over here. Now."

Kirby could feel the urgency in his voice, and didn't hesitate to stand up; although, when he did, a sharp pain in his chest made him wince and stop, forcing him to close his eyes for a few seconds. Fumu helped him to his feet gently, and once he was standing, the boy calmly walked forward, careful not to trigger another pain. The closer he walked to his mentor, the more he could feel it; this… presence. The Dark Matter was still pulsing around his limp body, beating inside him like a second heart ready to burst.

Kirby knew what to do now. Once he spotted Galaxia's hilt, producing from his belt on his left side, the boy went to grasp it with both hands, carefully pulling her out of her scabbard. He held it, watching intently as the light formed itself into the blade of the sacred sword before his eyes in a sea of sparks. Galaxia's presence was the complete opposite of the Dark Matter; serene, beautiful, grand and pure.

"You know what to do, right?" Galacta Knight asked him. "Because… honestly? I don't. I don't know a lot about this sword… I was kind of out of the picture when he got it."

"I saw him free Dedede with it," Kirby said, looking at the blade and his reflection on its shiny surface. "I'm sure… I can do the same with him in return. I think. Maybe."

"We're drowning in a sea of certainties today, I like it," Galacta half joked, half smirking in response to it. "Try not to cut him in half though."

Kirby couldn't help but gulp down at the thought. What if it didn't work? What if Galaxia didn't listen to him and just… cut right through him? No, no, don't think like that… It'll work! Let's be positive, Kirby! He'll be rid of this Dark Matter, and they will all gather afterward for some well deserved cake, and he and Meta Knight will open his gift together and that'll be the end of this year's atrocious birthday party. It wasn't so hard…

Kirby looked down at Meta Knight. Sword and Blade held him in a sitting position, making sure he was comfortable enough, but already Kirby could see; his wings were shaking with tremors, each worse than the last, and his breath was short… He briefly looked at Galaxia, and mumbled more to himself than to her:

"Please, work…"

He raised the sword high above his head.

Her blade began to glow brightly, a star on earth.

Meta Knight's lonely eye opened wide.

Kirby brought the sword down swiftly.

 _Thump!_

Kirby gasped out; Meta Knight had suddenly raised his arm, and now Galaxia's blade was etched into his hand. Instead of letting go, he grasped the blade tightly into a shaking fist. Blood oozed out of the wound, but still the knight was holding it, and before anyone else could move, Meta Knight lifted his other hand and waved it. In response, a dark aura then surrounded Sword, Blade and Galacta Knight, taking them by surprise when they began to float off the ground, as if no longer affected by gravity, and they were violently thrown away by this unseen force, landing a good distance away brutally.

Kirby couldn't look away; he wanted to move, but couldn't; he wanted to drop the sword and run, but couldn't. While still holding Galaxia in his bloodied hand, Meta Knight slowly stood on his feet, causing his grip on Galaxia's blade to tighten and causing even more blood to flow freely and stream down the hilt. Kirby couldn't move; he could look nowhere else but into that single eye.

It was that same eye that once laughed at him in his dreams. It was that same eye that was now laughing at him in the silence of Meta Knight's stare.

Suddenly, with lightning speed, Meta Knight grasped Kirby by the neck, causing him to choke up, and the boy was lifted off of the ground in an instant. He kicked his feet, but Meta Knight's hold on his throat was solid and choking, so much so that Kirby let go of Galaxia to pry at his hand, desperately trying to free himself but to no avail. Galaxia fell to the ground with a loud _clang!_ that resounded all around them, and the Dark Matter chuckled darkly.

"Finally," the voices said through Meta Knight's voice while Kirby struggled to even breathe. "The old fool finally gave in. Don't you want to join him, Kirby? Isn't your wish to be with your father, in peace? We can give-"

"AaaaAAAHH!"

Suddenly, Meta Knight whipped around, still holding Kirby with one hand, and struck an attacking Bun with his mighty wing, sending the young knight to the ground. In one swift move, the possessed knight grasped a bloody Galaxia and was about to stab the cappy in the heart, but a ball of fire briskly erupted in his face, causing him to cry out and back away. He let go of Kirby as he did, causing the youth to fall to the ground, squirming as he gasped for air, and the knight growled angrily at whoever did this. Azure leaped near Bun, eyes blazing as fire crackled in his clenched jaws; he would listen to his master's order, no matter who he had to fight. Bun scrambled to his feet as well, going to stand by Kirby like the demon-beast, a solid wall that wouldn't move so easily.

Upon seeing such defiance, Meta Knight growled even deeper, but before he could even dare move another muscle to attack anyone else, a familiar call resounded in the plaza, much to everyone's shock.

"SMASH PUNCH!"

A bright ball of blue light then came from the side, exploding on Meta Knight square on the arm and sending him waltzing a few steps back. He looked to the side with a wide eye, but the hunter that suddenly zoomed into the scene took a flying leap at him, spinning wildly as he exclaimed:

"Spin Kick!"

Meta Knight took his foot right on the mask, and the force of the strike sent him flying backward, finally putting some distance between him and Kirby. Knuckle Joe stood in a defensive manner in front of the young warrior, who looked up at him with wide eyes.

"Joe!" he exclaimed, both shocked and happy to see him. "You're here!"

Knuckle Joe slightly turned his head to smirk at him, answering in a smug tone:

"Of course I'm here! I wouldn't miss your birthday, Kirby. Looks like I'm right on time too."

"Finally!" Galacta Knight exclaimed from where he stood. "I swear you're just like your dad, lad, always late and not even sorry about it!"

"Heh!" Joe snorted, rubbing his nose. "Yeah, sorry 'bout that! I wanted to arrive sooner but I got busy with some stupid paperwork Arthur put me through."

"Well, you're in luck," Galacta said as he gestured toward Meta Knight, who was hissing toward Joe like an angry snake. "As you can see, I found the demon-beast."

As he looked at the transformed knight, Joe lost his smirk immediately and a darker shade took over his features. He rubbed his nose.

"Well, well, well," he said toward the blinded knight. "Guess who's the idiot now, Meta Knight? You and my dad are a lot more alike than we thought, huh? He was stupid enough to let himself become a demon-beast, and you're even more stupid to do the same thing years later! Heh! Even after telling me _not_ to do it!"

The only answer Meta Knight was able to give him was a deep and nasty hiss as he returned to stand on all fours, burn marks and blood on his mask and arm. He had to stop however when a coughing fit forced him down, giving them a moment to think of a plan of action. Joe snorted.

"Is it really gonna need two hunters to take him down?" he asked toward Galacta, who squinted his eyes at his cousin.

"If we're lucky," was his answer. "Not even an army was ever able to take him down, lad. Keep that in mind."

Kirby could only stare in silence. For some reason he couldn't quite explain… he knew both Galacta Knight and Joe would be insufficient to take him down. In that brief moment in which he had looked at the Dark Matter's eye, he could swear he had seen… _him_ behind it. Meta Knight was still there, buried in a sea of darkness. And he needed help. _His_ help.

 _You have the power to save those who are lost, and on the way, you might very well save many more._

Those words… He remembered them. The voice he had heard when he came out of that darkness told him that… He had that power… He wasn't strong enough to face the Dark Matter on his own, but… he could save Meta Knight. That, he knew. He stood up.

"Wait!"

"Not now, lad," Galacta called back without looking back, taking his lance from his back.

"No, wait! Let me do this!"

Joe turned his head to him, about to tell him to go sit and rest, but when he saw Kirby's eyes… he saw a sparkle in them. A particular sparkle, that when lit, would drive him to the end of the world, unscathed.

However, before any of them could agree on anything, Meta Knight suddenly zoomed right past both hunters like a dark blur, and the last thing Kirby knew, he was being carried off into the sky, screaming in fear. The ground went farther and farther away, his friends' calls reverberating in deaf ears as he was being taken up and up and to seemingly no end. Once they were high into the sky, Meta Knight let go of Kirby; the boy, having no clue of where anything was, could only fall, screaming helplessly as he did. Suddenly, he was grasped again by the throat, keeping him from falling but also from breathing. Meta Knight held him in front of him, his one eye blazing with unbridled rage. His large wings were flapping rapidly to keep them in place, creating huge drafts of air that Kirby could feel on his cheeks.

"As we were saying, boy," the voices spoke once more above the winds, "we can give you anything you wish for. You were willing to give us your mind, Kirby. Have you already forgotten?"

Kirby pried more at his hand, desperately trying to loosen his grip on his throat, and the sharp pain in his chest came back full force, making him cry useless tears that were blown away almost immediately.

"Let us take you," the voices sang in his ears, "and we will reunite you with the one we already took. You can be together always, father and son, like you always wanted."

Kirby growled and cried as he weakly punched his hand.

"Shut up!" he screamed with the last bit of air he had.

Suddenly, something bright and big hit Meta Knight right in the back, forcing both of them to fall into the sky. Breathless, Kirby could only see stars for a good while before he realized he was falling no more; he was laying on his stomach… on his Warp Star! Fumu must have called it! Just seeing its shiny and familiar surface was enough to drive energy right back into him, and he shakily stood up on his star, searching for the knight in the sky. He spotted him, circling him farther away but always staring at him with that one eye. With all this aura around him, eating away at him, he looked like a dark meteor ready to crash and destroy everything that stood in its path…

Kirby squinted his eyes and observed Meta Knight more intently. He… wasn't holding Galaxia. She wasn't in her scabbard either. Was she still down there? A quick look down told him the answer; he could see her, a distant, tiny golden light coming from the plaza. He looked up at Meta Knight, and saw he was closer. It was now or never. Taking a solid stance on his star, Kirby quickly made it dip forward and sent it flying down as fast as it could. He heard Meta Knight screech behind him and take him into chase, but Kirby knew he had to get Galaxia before he attempted _anything_.

There she was! Just laying on the ground, in the center of the plaza. The closer he got the more he could hear everyone down there encourage him, call his name and tell him he could do it, and it filled him with so much energy, he could see nothing else but his goal. But Meta Knight was right on his tail, and if he didn't reach the ground _now_ , he would take a hit and that would be it. His first instinct to get out of this situation was to open his mouth; immediately, a gale of wind lifted in a vacuum right in front of him, forcing everyone down there to take refuge. Galaxia was lifted from the ground, and she went right in his mouth; right as Meta Knight took hold of Kirby in a tight grip that the young didn't feel.

This surge of power was unlike anything Kirby had ever felt in his life prior to this moment. He had inhaled Galaxia many times before now; and none of those times were as strong as right now.

He knew what to do.

He would free Meta Knight of the Dark Matter. No matter what it took.

A wall of light then surrounded Kirby, forcing Meta Knight to let go and fly back, raising his hands to shield his one eye from this sudden brightness. When the light subsided, a transformed Kirby took a fighting stance toward his old teacher. The hat he was wearing was unlike anything anyone in Dreamland had ever seen.

It was shaped like his usual Sword hat, but fancier, in a way. The beautiful decorations that lined its edges were shaped like tiny wings, and the cap ended in a yellow star billowing in the wind. Kirby held Galaxia high, and her light pierced through the darkness that emanated from Meta Knight, making the knight screech and hiss as he flew back to escape it.

Down in the plaza, Galacta Knight gasped. That hat! He knew what it was! But… how? How could Kirby…?

Both the transformed Kirby and the possessed Meta Knight circled each other a good distance above the plaza, one of light and one of darkness; and then, without warning, they flew at each other.

The moment Galaxia met with the darkness, a flash of light happened, so bright not even Kirby could see anything past it.

He felt transported.

He was in his pocket Universe. Floating, gently.

In the distance, along a path of stars, he saw him.

Meta Knight.

Just floating there, immobile.

Kirby held out his hand and called him.

His calls were heard, and the knight turned.

His eyes were kind.

Though he heard him, he did not take his hand.

He backed away, and Kirby refused.

He started fading, and Kirby refused.

He was dissipating, and Kirby refused.

The moment his hand brushed at the dust of his memory, washing his light upon him, the star boy found himself in the sky once more.

He slashed Galaxia in a straight line skyward; both him and Meta Knight found each other on either side of one another, one with light and a resolute gaze, the other with a wide and scared eye that didn't understand. It was right then that Kirby saw them… two halves of a metal mask… flying up in the sky… and falling back down…

He quickly whipped around, shocked, and saw Meta Knight plummet down below. The knight brutally crashed into the ground and rolled a few feet away, but once he was immobile, he didn't stand. He was holding his face with both hands and squirming around, as if fighting to get nasty worms off of him, as if neither the Dark Matter nor Meta Knight could control this body anymore.

Kirby flew down closer, concerned. Did he hit him? Did he do it? However, when Meta Knight raised his uncovered head to look at him, his thoughts swam away in all possible directions. The face he was looking at… it was both familiar and repulsive. Covered in impossible scars, dried and beaten all over its dark blue surface, his visage was scarred beyond belief. And yet, behind all of those deformities, was a face Kirby saw everyday, whenever he would look in a mirror. The same tall eyes, the same mouth; even the same blushing cheeks. But those eyes were bloodshot; but that mouth was distorted in a snarl, revealing sharp fangs; but those cheeks were stained with dried blood and tears.

"You!" the voices screamed at Kirby. "You will pay for this!"

But instead of screaming some more, he began to laugh; and what a horrible laugh it was! It grew and grew into a mocking laugh, but quickly it dissolved and became nothing more than mindless screams as the knight held his head in his hands, shaking his head from side to side as he fought for control. Clearly, Kirby thought, he had touched something with that attack. Now, Meta Knight was fighting _with_ him.

With renewed hope, Kirby readied Galaxia in hand and flew down toward Meta Knight, who quickly raised his head when he sensed the danger and in one flap had taken to the air. He flew right past Kirby without even attacking him, forcing Kirby to turn his star around and look up. The knight flew very high into the sky, and suddenly, remained immobile… before falling down. At the last moment, he reangled himself and dive-bombed right toward Kirby at incredible speed, so fast that Kirby had but a second to move. He dodged the attack by a hair, but he had barely turned around that he saw the knight come down for another attack, except this time he started spinning in the air like a drill, shaping the darkness around him like a sharp end that would surely kill him. Kirby panicked briefly and ducked down, barely missing it right above his head, and quickly readied himself for a third attack… except, when he turned around, he wasn't there.

"Kirby! Above you!"

He didn't even look up; dipping his star forward, he shot ahead as fast as he could, once again evading a blow from a wing that would have been fatal.

Kirby and Meta Knight exchanged blow after blow for what seemed like an eternity. In the distance, the sun was setting…

Soon, they found themselves fighting over the fields and meadows, and even above the ocean, whose waves were crashing endlessly on the cliffs surrounding the area, each dancing around the other in a perfectly synchronized choreography. By now, their silhouettes were nothing but shadows meeting and separating, each trying to put the other down but never destined to succeed. At one point, they both circled each other, slowly, both completely depleted and out of breath. Kirby was covered in scratches and his own blood, but so was Meta Knight.

Now that he could see his face, Kirby realized one thing; Meta Knight was quite expressive. In those tall eyes, he could tell his whole story; one of loss, one of failures, one of joy, one of victories… In those eyes, he could tell his pain. And he wanted nothing more than to see love once again shine in those irises, for he knew that it was right behind this layer of darkness. Right there, beyond the ruins of the wall they had built between each other over the years, a wall that had taken so long to destroy… He would jump over it, he would fly over it, and he would never let him go.

Kirby blinked.

 _You have the power to save those who are lost, and on the way, you might very well save many more._

He clenched Galaxia tightly in both hands, and flew straight at his teacher, who did the exact same.

He slashed upward, and Meta Knight slashed downward.

A large, bloody gash opened along Meta Knight's left cheek, from his shoulder to his mouth.

A claw dug deep into Kirby's right cheek, opening up a large wound that drew blood almost immediately.

In one swift move, Meta Knight disarmed and stole Galaxia from Kirby's shaking hand and pushed the young warrior off of the Warp Star with his foot, causing a shocked Kirby to gasp out and fall. Meta Knight dove right after him, and right as Galaxia's light began to consume him whole, her blade struck with a sickening sound.

It felt like time stood still.

Kirby was looking up at the sky. He saw… a single shadowed mass, forcefully being shot out of Meta Knight, who was surrounded in dissipating light.

They were both falling. Kirby could see his Warp Star up there, chasing after them. He saw Meta Knight.

Briefly, his eyes shone at him. Bright, glowing and silver irises, filled with a familiar sparkle.

Those bright eyes followed him into the dark maws of the ocean down below, as the foamy white teeth of the sea swallowed them both whole in one, swift bite. The setting sun vanished, but those eyes didn't. The earth vanished, but those eyes didn't. All light vanished, but those eyes followed him down and down, and soon, both of them were drifting down, one before the other, quiet.

His silver eyes were thankful.

They were exhausted.

They were closing…

And so were his…

They were both dying…

And soon, they would both…

But wait… something was pulling him up. Those eyes were still going down, but he was going up, up and up and up, until he could see those eyes no more and until the bright light of the surface scorched his closing eyes.

Now… he could see the sky… but those eyes weren't there.

There were voices around him. Distant voices he couldn't understand, and soon, shapeless forms and familiar visages came in front of him. He was already fading away…

Soon, Kirby found the strength to close his eyes… and let the tide wash it all away…


	11. The Twin Star

**Fallen Stars: A New Age**

 **Act 1 - Final Chapter: The Twin Star**

* * *

One month passed since Kirby's seventy-eighth birthday.

It was a very long and very heavy month to go through. Life had mostly returned to its normal pace, and it was as if most of the villagers had put the incident with the Dark Matter in the past, as one should do. But whenever Kirby was seen, silence accompanied him.

At the climax of their battle, both Kirby and Meta Knight plummeted into the sea, never to emerge out. Galacta Knight had dived right in after them, but when he came out, he had an unconscious Kirby in his arms. The young Star Warrior had been stabbed with Galaxia right through his left cheek, near his shoulder, and he was on the verge of death when he had been fished out. He was immediately brought to the Agency without question, and he remained in intensive care for a whole week before he awoke. Even heavily drugged and delirious, the first thing Kirby requested was to see Meta Knight.

 _"_ _Where…is he…? I want… I want… to see… dad…"_

However, his request was denied; though Galacta Knight had plunged right back into the ocean to search for him, Meta Knight remained unfound. All traces of his presence down in the sea had vanished entirely, leaving behind a mystery and a broken heart…

Now, today, Kirby's house was quiet. The young warrior lay on his bed, facing the wall, and he didn't utter a word. Neither the TV nor the radio was on, the window was closed, and the door was locked. The room was dark; it felt like it was perpetually night in the small dome house, but there were no moon and no stars to light it. With a sigh, Kirby turned on his back.

Exhaustion. Every day for the last three weeks, all he could feel was exhaustion. All he wanted to do was sleep, but he couldn't. At night, he was tortured by horrible nightmares, but they didn't persuade him to stop trying to sleep; in fact, they were only making him _want_ to sleep even more. He could barely think, not with all of these images flashing in his eyes on a daily basis.

Loss. Grief. A mild state of depression. Dark Matter sickness. Those were the words he had heard from many doctors and even from Fumu herself to describe his current state of being, but Kirby could not truly grasp what they meant. He didn't know what depression was. He had experienced sadness over the loss of a few friends back in the day, but never did it feel this bad, this _painful_. Was the pain he felt what they called 'grief'? What did it do for him to know these words? Knowing the words didn't make it stop. Words couldn't stop these images to fly by his eyes everyday, wouldn't stop his nightmares from haunting him every night.

With another sigh, Kirby turned on his left side, careful with his cheek and arm. From here, he could see it, sitting on his table. Untouched for a whole month, Meta Knight's present was still in its wrapping paper, there was still the envelope on top of it with a ribbon. But Kirby couldn't open it. He couldn't find it in himself to do it. Not that he hadn't tried; but whenever he did, the pain became unbearable, and he would have to go back to sleep.

Now, today, Kirby felt a little bit different. Perhaps more audacious, perhaps because he had gotten some sleep last night, or perhaps just more feverish and more delirious. He looked at that gift, and he wondered… What if it was really important? What if… it lead him straight to Meta Knight? Maybe, he told himself, if he opened the gift, he would see him again…

Under his bed, neatly put away in a box he had left untouched for a month, was Galaxia. Although he wouldn't look at her, her presence was still overly noticeable. Whenever his thoughts wandered to her, his mind relaxed, in a way, and he could think more clearly. Maybe she was acting stronger today, for a change. Maybe she wanted him to move.

Kirby heaved a deep breath and rubbed his tired eyes. Maybe… he could try again. Slowly, carefully, Kirby raised himself and sat up in his bed, closing his eyes for a long moment when he started feeling a bit dizzy. Bandages were tightly wrapped around his body and his left arm, and whenever he moved, he reeked of medicine. His wounds had a tendency to open whenever he did too great an effort, and because of that, his bandages had to be changed twice a day and his body cleaned each time. Being this… helpless was… humiliating. He didn't mind when it was Fumu who came to help him, but when he was manipulated by doctors and was told the things he shouldn't do and the things he probably wouldn't be able to do again, a strange feeling of humiliation came up from deep within, from a deep well he didn't know was there. It almost felt like this feeling _wasn't his_ …

At the end of the bed, rolled into a tight ball of warmth like a miniature furnace, Azure opened his eyes; as soon as he noticed that Kirby was awake, the pup's tail started wagging like crazy. He stood up, overly excited, and went right into Kirby's face to run his fiery hot tongue all over it, making the sleepy Kiridan laugh; it was at least one of the few things that did still make him laugh. Kirby took Azure's fluffy cheeks in his hands and rubbed his nose against his dry muzzle, saying softly in a somewhat raucous voice:

"Hey there, bud. I didn't notice you were still here…"

Azure jumped down from the bed when Kirby made a move to stand, and the wolf remained close; the young star child was careful with his every move, holding his sensitive left paw against his side and keeping it from moving, but still he felt the muscles twitch uncomfortably when he touched the ground. Taking a deep breath – and feeling Azure's own smelly breath against the back of his head – Kirby looked up at the table against the wall, where the untouched and dusty present sat still, taunting him. Kirby knew he had to open it eventually; honestly, it was stupid to keep himself from doing so, he thought. So, right now, he would do it. He would open it.

He stepped closer to the table…

Extended his hand…

He was an inch away from the gift…

 _"_ _After you open it, I won't keep secrets from you anymore. That is my promise to you, Kirby."_

He took his hand back and promptly turned away before heading for the door. His step was quick, his face was getting hotter and he felt sick, almost like he couldn't breathe. He fidgeted with the lock, wincing when his chest started hurting again, and quickly stepped out of his house. A bright sun attacked his eyes, forcing him to close them and raise a hand, but at the same time, a fresh and salty breeze came in from the nearby sea, allowing him to breathe correctly once more. As he was taking deeper and deeper breaths, Azure walked up to him, looking concerned with his ears flattened down and his head low at Kirby's face level, and he whined lightly as he gently touched his arm with his nose. Kirby looked up at him and smiled warmly, telling him:

"I'm okay, Azure, it's fine. It just happens… I suppose… today's not the day…"

The Star Warrior shook his head to change his expression and smiled a bit brighter at the pup.

"Wanna go eat something?"

Azure's tail started wagging so hard that Kirby felt the drafts it created in his back, turning his grimace of a fake smile into a real one, and the young Wolfwrath then crouched down on the ground, lowering his head in the grass. Kirby carefully took hold of his growing mane with his only available hand and pulled himself up on the demon's back. As soon as the young warrior was comfortably installed between the two front spikes on his back, Azure stood up and quickly went into a trot on the road to town, tail wagging and tongue hanging.

This new mode of transportation was one that Azure himself proposed to Kirby in the first week of his recovery because his young master was too weak to walk by himself, and because Azure was always with him, it proved useful whenever Kirby felt too light-headed to do things on his own. It wasn't necessarily the case at the moment, but Azure loved carrying him around so much that Kirby couldn't say no when he crouched down like this. Azure was getting so big, he was almost like a miniature horse for the young Kiridan, which often brought the laughs and the awes of those they passed by in town.

Kirby held on to Azure's mane all the way to town; laying his face down in his fur made it seem like he was laying in a warm bed by the side of a fireplace, and he was getting so comfortable that he almost forgot that they were heading to the restaurant, and he raised his head only when they had entered the main plaza in town. He had to blink multiple times to keep his eyes open; he had almost fallen asleep again… He completely ignored everyone else staring at him in the plaza and they went straight for Kawasaki's restaurant.

"Hi Kirby!" the chef called as soon as he spotted him entering.

Luckily for them, the restaurant wasn't too crowded; other than a couple of cappies receiving their orders, there was no one else. As Kirby was sliding down from Azure and taking a seat at his favourite table, Kawasaki came over to them and took their orders; rice balls and dumplings for a Kirby that wasn't really hungry, and a plate of burning wood for Azure, who was, as per usual, starving. It was while they were waiting for their order to arrive that someone walked in the restaurant; at least, Kirby heard the footsteps of the person, but it was only when said person sat down in front of him that he actually acknowledged them and raised his eyes.

It was… Sir Dragato, one of the last four Kiridan Star Warriors from the Agency. He watched as the old man casually sat down and set a wooden cane against the side of the table, before reaching up to his face and taking his mask off. Azure was already all over him and was circling his chair, sniffing every corner of the man, but the Star Warrior wasn't afraid of him and gave him his hand to smell, before looking over to Kirby and smiling. His face was very kind.

"Hello, Kirby. Do you mind if I sit here?"

Kirby carefully looked him from head to toe from his side of the table and shrugged as his only answer; it seemed that Azure was already taking a liking to him, as he was sitting awfully close to the man with a big stupid grin on his face. That was a good sign; he usually could tell when someone had good intentions, so Kirby trusted his instincts.

"Rice balls, dumplings and a burning fire, coming over! Oh!" Kawasaki exclaimed when he arrived with the trays. "A new customer! Hello sir! Are you a friend of Kirby?"

"You could say that," Sir Dragato answered with a polite smile lighting his features.

As soon as the chef put Azure's meal down on the ground – a large tray that contained three fiery logs with burning embers – the Wolfwrath ran over and immediately began to tear them apart to lick all the flames off. Kawasaki backed away from the hungry demon, nervously laughing at how hungry he was, and quickly asked for Sir Dragato's order.

"I'm feeling adventurous today," the Star Warrior answered. "I'll take your best dish, whatever it is."

"Oh! Great! You won't be disappointed sir! Best dish, coming right up!"

When Kawasaki disappeared in his kitchen and they were left alone, Kirby stared at him with an empty gaze; Sir Dragato immediately picked up on it.

"Why are you here, Sir?" Kirby asked in a calm and quiet tone, with a slightly raucous voice so he had to clear his throat after speaking.

Now usually, the people of the Agency came to him to see whether he was feeling better or not, but Sir Dragato looked at him with a kind look about his face, a look that most of the others couldn't really replicate; one that spoke to Kirby in a different way…

"I came here to speak with you, Kirby," was the knight's answer. "About your future."

Kirby slightly frowned at that statement; he didn't like where this was going… but he let him talk nonetheless.

"First, tell me. How are you feeling today, son?"

Son… Meta Knight used to call him that… He looked away so it wouldn't look like he was shaking his head at the man and lightly coughed, trying to think of something else.

"I don't know… Better than yesterday, I guess. I'm not… feeling a whole lot of things, actually. I'm just… I don't know…"

He ended his sentence with a shrug, and the commander nodded his head.

"I see. It's as I expected, really. Those who've come into contact with the Dark Matter tend to feel this way for a time. Unfortunately, we can only wait it out… but that is not why I am here."

He stopped talking when Kawasaki arrived with his order; it was actually his most popular dish and the one he could pull off the best, spicy ramen noodles with dumplings of his own recipe. Sir Dragato kindly thanked him for the meal, and when the chef went away, he turned back to Kirby.

"You see," he said, picking up the chopsticks to pull them apart, "many… _oof_ , many, _many_ years ago, I was Sir Meta Knight's teacher."

Kirby's eyes slightly widened, and Azure even raised his head from his logs, both curious about this fact; Kirby actually never bothered to wonder whether his mentor had had a mentor of his own. He simply thought that he always had these skills, as any child would, really.

"When he first joined the GSA with Galacta, the lad was about your age," he continued as he looked down at his meal. "He had… shall we say, different needs than the other recruits, so I took him in. His father and mother were old friends of mine, so I was glad to take care of their son. When I first saw him, I could tell he would do great things…"

There was a pause while he savoured his dish, and Kirby wondered why he was telling him all of this… He couldn't help but imagine Sir Meta Knight as a child, and it brought an amused smile to his face.

"Mmh, this is delicious…," the man mumbled to himself, turning Kirby's smile into a grimace as he stopped himself from chuckling. "You see, you and Meta Knight are eerily similar. As I look at you, I have a feeling I am looking back at this quiet little lad from way back then. It goes beyond just physical appearance too. It's in your eyes…"

Kirby remembered the first time Sir Galacta Knight arrived here and met him; he had knelt down in front of him and had looked right into his eyes, saying how similar they were… Had he seen the same thing as Sir Dragato…? Was there something there that Kirby wasn't aware of? He didn't fully understand what Sir Dragato was talking about… but he grew a bit more curious about what he had to say, despite his current aversion to think of his lost mentor…

"Now I'm sure you're wondering why I'm blabbering on about this," the elder man chuckled. "You'll have to excuse me, I tend to get lost in my memories and thoughts from time to time. Now the reason I came to see you… was to ask you if you would like to become my new student."

The young Star Warrior was shocked; he stared at him with wide eyes, long enough for him to notice and say:

"Unfortunately, because Meta Knight's fate is uncertain – even though I keep my hopes that he is alright – you are now left without a teacher. I believe you weren't done learning the combining of abilities, correct? Because I taught Meta Knight as a child, I am most familiar with these abilities and the training required to make them stronger. Consider this a simple offer; you are free to refuse if that is what you wish."

Kirby remained quiet for a long time, so long that Dragato went back to eating while he sat there, not saying a word. The young Kiridan looked over to Azure, who stared back and gestured his head toward the knight, as if saying he should accept. Clearly, Azure trusted him, and Kirby knew he should too; but… was he ready to go back to training…? Most of all, training under a different teacher; surely his teaching methods would be different than Meta Knight, everything would be different from Meta Knight! Meta Knight… where… was he…?

"… Do you really think he's alright…?"

Sir Dragato gave a nod.

"Yes. Yes, I believe he is. I may not know what he is up to or what his plans were, but I don't believe we've seen the last of him. Meta Knight is one hard diamond, I can tell you as much. He's faced much worse than a single Dark Matter in the past and still stood up to face even greater dangers."

Kirby looked down at his plate, which he hadn't even touched yet. He could only hope… that he was in the right… And yet, the memory of their final attack persisted in his mind; Kirby had hit him… he was sure of it. He shook his head again.

Don't think about it.

He gazed up at the knight sitting in front of him and took a deep breath.

"I'll… I think I need some time to think about your offer… if you don't mind…"

Sir Dragato smiled warmly at him.

"Of course, no one's in a hurry. Actually, I'll be in town for some time, so come find me whenever you have an answer. I wouldn't want you to give me a speedy answer you'll end up regretting."

Kirby grinned very lightly. He was glad he was giving him time to think it through; he really didn't feel like he was ready to find an answer right away. Not so soon…

When Sir Dragato was done eating his meal, he paid for both his and Kirby's and Azure's meals, and left the boy and his pup alone, wishing them a good day. Once he was out the door, Kirby turned to Azure, who looked back at him.

"What do you think…?" he asked quietly, making the pup raise his ears. "A bit too soon, I know… Maybe it'd make me feel better, but…"

He sighed. He didn't know what to do now, but one thing he did know, was that anything was better than whatever he was doing right now. Sir Dragato made him realize he still had a lot of things left undone. He had completely forgotten about his training… Would he be strong enough to start it again…? Obviously, he would need to wait for his wounds to heal, and even that he didn't know how long it would still take… They were taking so long to close…

Suddenly, Azure lunged forward and bit his hand. Kirby gasped and jerked his hand away from him, exclaiming:

"Hey! Don't do that! What's wrong with you?"

The lad carefully observed his hand; Azure hadn't bitten him that hard, there weren't any marks, but it did hurt… He glared at his friend, but quickly softened when he saw that Azure was giving him a look that was saying it all. He sighed and rubbed his hand.

"I know, I know, I should do something other than sleeping all the time… I just can't help it, okay…"

But the Wolfwrath wasn't done; with the same glare, he pointed his nose toward his plate, making Kirby look down at his untouched food. Oh, right… Azure wanted him to eat. Boy, that dog was smart. Sometimes, he acted in such strange ways that Kirby was reminded that he was, in fact, a class A demon-beast that was actually a lot smarter than most of the other classes, and not, actually, a dog. With a sigh, Kirby picked up his chopsticks.

"Alright, alright, you win… Guess I'll eat…"

Azure raised his ears and gave him a smug smirk; victory!

* * *

Later that same day, Kirby went back to his house. Now that his stomach was actually full for the first time in a good while, he felt somewhat more awake. And, most of all, with Dragato's offer at the center of his mind, he felt… braver. Perhaps, after all, he could try again…

He lingered for a long time on the doorknob; Azure patiently waited for him at his side, a silent statue as usual. Kirby was shaking, a little, and he couldn't do anything to stop it. He wasn't sure whether it was because he was excited or afraid, or maybe a strange mix of both, like he was preparing to enter a wild battle with a feral demon-beast. Finally, the door opened, and he walked in, followed by the Wolfwrath. The house was dark, and for the first time in a long while, Kirby went for the light switch and flipped it on, lighting up the room in an instant. As he closed the door, he rubbed his arms, asking Azure:

"It's cold in here… Can you light the fireplace?"

Azure nodded his head and went to grab some logs in his jaws to put them in the fireplace, which he lit with a few fiery licks. Kirby stared at his bed for a moment; for the first time in a while, he didn't feel like going in it. Instead, his eyes slowly wandered over to the right, to the other side of the room. On the table, it sat there still, the untouchable gift. He took in a deep breath.

And walked toward it.

No other thoughts.

No other feeling.

He was brave.

He would open it.

He extended his hand toward it… and touched it. Immediately, as if he was afraid it would slip away, he grasped it in hand and brought it to him. He was taking deep breaths and he refused to look at it, but he was holding it. He was holding it! Kirby backed away from the table and sat down on the rug in front of the fireplace; although Azure was excited to see he had finally done it, the Wolfwrath walked around him and laid down, wrapping his tail and body around his back so the Star Warrior was surrounded in his warmth in front of the fire. Kirby rubbed him on the head, thankful, and smirked. Now, the next step… to open it.

He started with the envelope. Undoing the red ribbon wrapped around the coloured paper, he took the envelope and set the gift aside. Once it was ripped open, he pulled its contents out… only to be very surprised by its lack of contents. There was only one piece of paper inside. On it, words were written in a neat cursive handwriting that he immediately recognized as Meta Knight's. It read as follows.

 _A man named Azure Khano once told me these words. 'No matter the distance that separates us, no matter the darkness that rises between us, your light will shine through, because you are the brightest star of all. If you need me, call me, and I will find your light.'_

 _That man was my father. I now relay these words to you, my son. May the stars illuminate your path._

 _Happy birthday, Kirby._

The young Star Warrior looked up from the paper and stared at the fireplace for a long time. Despite how short the message was, it felt like it contained everything there was to know… His heart was racing and tears were welling up in his eyes, but he refused to shed them; in fact, it felt like they were drying up as soon as they threatened to flow. He had cried enough in the last month, there were no more tears left. He looked at Azure, who was clearly oblivious to what the message contained, and he smiled at him before petting him on the muzzle.

"Do you remember, bud? It was me who found your name, but it was Sir Meta Knight who agreed to it. I thought he didn't like the name at first, but… now I know. You have the same name as his dad…"

The Wolfwrath raised his ears, eyes slightly widening, and he cocked his head to the side before pointing his nose toward the small package on the ground. Kirby looked down at it, and took a deep breath. This was going to be hard…

Setting the paper aside, Kirby took the gift in hand and carefully tore the coloured paper open, slowly revealing what lay underneath for the past month… The first thing he saw, was a book. It took most of the space under the paper. Its leather cover looked old and weathered, as if it had seen many years of being carried around, but still the golden leathering on its front cover shone in the light of the fire like the golden leaves had been applied the day prior. The cover read:

 _'_ _The Fallen Stars'_ _by Dragato L. Penmanei_

Dragato… That guy was a writer too? Of all the things he could have been, he never expected a writer… Opening up the cover to the first page, he found a brief synopsis of the story.

 _In a long forgotten land, a lone warrior wakes in a forest. He has no name, he has no memory, but he knows one thing. The land he lives in is dying, poisoned by an unspoken evil, and he alone can stand to free it._

Well this sounded awfully familiar, Kirby thought. Although it seemed a bit cheesy, Kirby had to admit he was curious about the story. He made a mental note to start reading it later. Setting the book aside, he looked at the other contents of the gift, and found only one thing; a small metallic object that looked like some sort of memory drive to plug in a computer. Now that was problematic… Kirby didn't own any sort of computer. He never knew how these things worked and no matter what it was, he always managed to smash it. What to do with this…

While he was pondering what it was, Azure's eyes suddenly flashed brightly and he zipped forward, catching the drive in his mouth before Kirby could stop him. Surprised, Kirby gasped out and whipped around, watching as Azure stood up and went toward the door.

"Hey!" Kirby called. "What are you doing?! Give that back!"

He stood as well to go after him, but the Wolfwrath then stopped in front of the door and turned around, still holding the drive in his mouth. His eyes were so bright, they looked like two suns looking right through him… Then… a strange sound resonated through the air… like a whisper…

 _"_ _K… Kaaaa… Kaaaar… Kuuur… Kiiirb…"_

The young Star Warrior, surprised, looked around searching for the voice… when he realized it was echoing in his head… He looked back toward Azure. The pup then crouched down…

 _"_ _Kiiiiiirrb… bbb… Kiiiirbyyyy…"_

When Kirby widened his eyes, Azure only wagged his tail, looking proud of himself. Of all the things Wolfwraths could do, _talking_ was the thing Kirby expected the least. Although it seemed to be limited to some sort of telepathy – which was already exceptional – it was still very impressive, and Kirby found he was at a loss for what to say. Azure raised his wagging tail, whining as he continued to try and speak to him.

 _"_ _Kiiiirbyyyy… M… Maa… Mas-ter… Maaaster… Fffff… Foooollooow… Mmmaster!"_

Follow…? Master…? Was this message from Meta Knight…? Kirby took in a deep breath. Clearly, Azure had received an order, and seeing that drive had reminded him of it. Now, he wanted him to follow him. As quick as he could, Kirby went to grab the book and the small letter; safely sliding the letter in the book, he held it in his arms and went to Azure so he could climb on his back. The moment he was sitting between his front spikes, the Wolfwrath stood up and ran outside like a lightning bolt, and Kirby had to hold on for dear life as the landscape rolled by at an incredible speed.

They ran through the hills, on the road, by the meadows, and before Kirby knew it, they were crossing the drawbridge to the castle. The Waddle Dees on patrol on the ramparts watched them curiously, but as usual did nothing of it, and Azure continued bouncing through the courtyard until he suddenly stopped at the fountain. Azure was panting, but his excitement didn't seem to calm down and he continued bouncing around the fountain, making Kirby understand where he wanted to go. The secret basement where the knights had once assembled the Halberd… He had completely forgotten about it, but surely the knights had still used it in all of those years. If Kirby remembered correctly…

He jumped down from Azure, wincing a bit as his injury pulled a bit too harshly, and walked closer to the fountain. Running a hand under the stone perimeter, he walked all around it until he found it; a hidden button, which he promptly pressed. He heard a click that made him back away, and the water of the fountain began to drain away, leaving space for the secret passage to open before him. When the staircase appeared, Kirby hesitated a short moment, but Azure, who seemed to have already gone in there once before, walked in before he did and bluntly started descending the stairs, forcing Kirby to come down after him.

Unbeknownst to the duo, a silent shadow was watching their every step from afar…

* * *

At the end of the staircase, they took the large elevator down into the basement, and the descent went in complete silence. When it finally reached the bottom and the doors opened, they found the basement eerily empty… Kirby tried to imagine what it must have looked like with the Halberd still here. It was truly a shame that the battleship had to have been abandoned like that at Nightmare's fortress… The amazing things that could have been done with it…

Azure didn't waste any time looking at the huge nothing that was in this gigantic room and went off to the side, toward a closed door, and Kirby followed behind. The smaller room looked like an office; a very messy office at that. With a few desks lining the walls covered in maps and dusty piles of plans and blueprints, the most impressive aspect of the room was the back; the whole back wall was covered in many screens surrounding a bigger one, with a large command board covered in keys. Before Kirby could swallow his disbelief, Azure walked toward the large computer and sat down, waiting for the young Star Warrior. Wide eyed, Kirby went to his side, and Azure finally handed him the memory drive, before pointing a claw at a particular slot in the machine. Without questioning what it would do, Kirby connected the drive with the computer… and the machine came to life.

The main screen filled with light, making them both raise their heads to it, and when it finished booting, an image appeared… one that made Kirby choke up.

It was Meta Knight. He was sitting on a chair in what appeared to be this very room, and he was looking straight at the camera.

 _"_ _Hello, Kirby."_

The lad shuddered. He knew this was but a recording, but that voice sounded so… _here_.

 _"_ _I would like to start with wishing you a happy birthday, Kirby,"_ Meta Knight said in the recorded video. _"If you are seeing this, then it means you've opened your present. What do you think of the book? It is the first novel written by my old teacher, Sir Dragato. It's cheesy and could use a rewriting, but… it was a book he gave to me when I was your age, and I've treasured it since. I'd like you to have it now. I do believe I've read it enough times to recite it by heart, so I don't mind parting with it."_

He paused briefly, and Kirby only tightened his grip on the book he was holding against him. This seemed so unreal…

 _"_ _Now… I would like to apologize. When you will be watching this, I will already be gone. For reasons I cannot divulge yet, I must leave Popstar. But do not worry about me, child, I will be alright. I don't know when I'll come back, but when I do, I will no longer be on the doorstep of death, and hopefully, you will no longer be threatened by the Dark Matter. Meanwhile, I leave Azure with you. I know he will protect you when I cannot…"_

Another pause… and then, he did something he was least expecting. Meta Knight reached his hands behind his head and unbuckled the strap of his mask, before taking the piece of metal off of his face. The visage he saw underneath was so much different from when he had cut his mask in two during their fight. His eyes were tall, kind and shone with a silver light that made them look like two moons in the middle of a darkly shaded and scarred face.

The scars were just as he remembered seeing them, except now he could look at them better… and they were worse than in his memories. The faded lines surrounded both of his eyes in circles, and the rest of the skin, particularly on the right side of his face, was folded and crippled, as if it had been torn apart. What could have caused his whole face to look like that… The knight in the recording smiled, something he thought he would never see. It made his scars disappear, like they weren't even there.

 _"_ _You know, Kirby, you and I met once before you landed on Popstar. The first time I saw you, you were but a newborn. You were so small and fragile, I could hold you in my hand… Honestly speaking, for a while I thought about adopting you at the time, but things quickly became more complicated, and you were no longer safe with me at the GSA. I made you your own starship, a cradle that would keep you safe, and sent you toward less dangerous parts of the system… You probably don't remember any of it, but I… I never forgot. You grew up to be so much more than I ever thought you would be… And I could not be more proud of you, Kirby. I am convinced you will continue to grow to become the greatest Star Warrior to have walked the stars. To help you in your future endeavours, I have prepared a gift for you. Open the bottom drawer of this computer desk."_

Surprised by this sudden demand, Kirby only briefly hesitated before diving toward the drawer and pulling it open; sure enough, there was a box in there, although this one wasn't wrapped in paper. He promptly opened it, and both him and Azure looked down into it. What lay inside… were pieces of armour, neatly placed on what looked like a folded red cape. The first piece of armour he saw was a metal mask; it was shaped like a five branch star, but only meant to cover the top of the face while leaving the bottom of it uncovered. There were crimson shoulder pads lined with gold, the same gold that seemed to line the cape of the same colour, and on the pads and the cape was a symbol; a stylized five branch star. A pair of white velvety gloves was neatly folded beside the mask, embroidered with beautiful floral patterns and the same star.

 _"_ _Those are garments I made for you for when you would be ready to wear them,"_ Meta Knight continued speaking, making him look back up at the computer screen. _"I think you're tall enough so that they would fit you now. I made them so that they will be enough to protect you in future battles while allowing you to keep your mobility. I hope you like them. Now, there is one last thing I need to talk to you about."_

He paused very briefly; a pause during which he closed his eyes for a few seconds.

 _"_ _In the pocket of the cape, you will find a pendant shaped like a winged star. That is the sigil of the Khano family, my clan. I want you to keep this with you. Should you meet someone from my clan, show them this, and they will recognize you as one of our own. It should prove useful, should you find them…"_

Curious about this pendant, Kirby went to search for this pocket and quickly found it in its depths. It was just like he had said; a four branch white star, surrounded by dark blue wings. The chain it was attached to looked sturdy enough to be able to attach it to any belt without fear of loosing it. He held it tightly in his hand; he would keep it close…

 _"_ _Mmh,"_ Meta Knight hummed lightly. _"I believe that is all I have to tell you as of right now. I will end this on one final request; go to Kabu, and search carefully around near the pedestal. There is something there I want you to keep for me… Thank you."_

The knight sighed softly, looking away for a short instant before looking back at the camera.

 _"_ _Fear not, son. Whatever lies ahead, I know you will pull through, as you have all those times prior to now. You have the strength to triumph before any darkness, no matter how dark it may seem. You need only believe you can… I wish you good luck, and a happy birthday yet again, Kirby of the Stars. We will see each other again soon, my friend…"_

And then, as abruptly as when it started, the recording stopped, and the screen returned to black. For a moment after it closed, the two stood there, in silence… Kirby didn't know what to say. There were tears once more in his eyes, but he was feeling both proud and sad, both happy and angry. There were so many things he wanted to tell the knight, and he wasn't there to listen to them. His mentor had said what he had to say, but he still wasn't there to listen. The child felt so insecure, and the only one who could listen to him was _gone_. What to do now…

"Master Kirby."

Both Kirby and Azure gasped and whipped around, one in shock and the other growling and hissing. There was someone standing there, in the doorway, but not in the dark. At first glance, the stranger looked like a Kiridan, just like the other knights, but the way they were dressed differed so much from them, and certain aspects of this person made him think they were something else. Shaped like a Kiridan, yet they possessed a pair of moth wings, neatly folded against their back, and long and wide antennas reacted to their movements atop their head.

They were dressed in black all over, with what looked like a Kiridan-made kimono, and they were wearing an oval mask that covered their entire face; on the mask, shapes reminiscent of crescent moons intertwined and surrounded two smiling eye slits, through which Kirby could not see the person's eyes, completely concealing every part of their face. The person stood there, silent, with their antennas raised high atop their head, and Kirby asked, feeling his bottled up emotions rise in his chest:

"W-who are you? Were you spying on us?"

The person stepped a bit closer, then bent forward, bowing respectfully as they brought a hand to their heart.

"Forgive me, Master Kirby, I did not intend to intrude upon your privacy. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Hailan. I was a member of the Ninja Special Forces during the glory times of the Galaxy Soldier Army, more specifically a member of the Blue Moon Shadows. I am now employed by the Demon Hunter Agency in the same name."

Kirby noted that this man had a strong accent that gave a beautiful tone to his soft voice, and despite his bubbling feelings, he found he liked listening to it.

"The… The Blue Moon Shadows?" he asked, to which the ninja nodded his head.

"Correct. Our role was to escort and guard Lord Meta Knight during missions, whether it was on the battlefield or in populated cities. We protected him from countless assassination attempts and, over time, have formed a bond of trust with him, and today, I come to you in his name."

Kirby slightly frowned. Somehow, he didn't like the sound of this…

"You see, a few months ago, I received a letter from him. He asked me to reprise my role as a Blue Moon and act as your guard, and I accepted. From now on, Master Kirby, I am your personal guard and servant. I will protect you from your enemies to the best of my abilities. I swear it on my pride as a ninja."

The ninja bowed down once more, this time kneeling down on one knee and putting a fist on the ground. Kirby couldn't believe his eyes. A personal guard? Didn't Meta Knight just say that he had the strength to face his foes? Then why did he ask for this guy to come here?! Frowning, Kirby picked up the box containing the armour crafted for him and threw a glare at the ninja, saying in an angry tone he couldn't control:

"Thank you, I guess, but I don't need your protection. I already have Azure right here, and he's more than enough."

Azure barked, as if agreeing with him, and the ninja stood up, answering in a calm tone:

"Of course, Master Kirby. I do not doubt your pet demon-beast is a worthy opponent to anyone who would dare cross paths with him. But I am afraid I made an oath-"

"I don't care about any oath!" Kirby shouted, the remains of a dark possession clouding his eyes in this very brief moment. "I don't need your protection! Now let me pass, I got stuff to do!"

The ninja had to step to the side when an angry Kirby stomped his way out of the office, quickly followed by a growling Azure. The two left the ninja behind and promptly headed for the elevator, leaving the ninja alone in the office. The one named Hailan, once by himself, looked at the screen. In his anger, Kirby had forgotten to take back the memory drive, and it was still plugged in. He stepped closer to the computer, and turned it on with a single press of a button. The message started playing once more… this time for a completely different audience.

* * *

Kirby and Azure were back on the road, and the young Star Warrior couldn't get this frown to leave his face. Sitting atop Azure's back, he was holding the box containing his armour and book in front of him, and he was sulking.

"Who does he think I am," he grumbled under his breath, making Azure look up as he trotted on the path to the canyon. "I don't need a whole army to protect me, I did fine before any of these guys were ever here! Just because I got hurt once doesn't mean I'm weak and can't defend myself. I'm Kirby of the fucking Stars, for Nova's sake!"

The Wolfwrath let out a soft grunt that sounded like he wasn't approving of his way to speak, and Kirby sighed before hugging the box closer to him. He didn't really understand why it aggravated him so, or why _anything_ could aggravate him this much. He didn't even feel bad for talking that way to the ninja either; it was within his rights to refuse to have a guy follow him around day and night! To think it was Sir Meta Knight who asked him to come here… And right after he told him he was strong! What a joke!

Kirby looked down inside the box, and the first thing he saw was the sigil of Meta Knight's clan, sitting on the cape next to Sir Dragato's novel. Wondering if he would ever meet any of the Khano clan members made his semi-anger fade away, and he completely forgot about why he was angry in the first place. He looked up from the box when he noticed that they were arriving closer to the canyon; the walls were starting to rise on either sides of them and the ground was turning from green grass to rocky terrain, making Azure's claws rattle and click with every step.

When they arrived in front of Kabu, they were both surprised to find that someone else was there; it was Fumu. She was sitting on a flat rock, her head supported in both of her palms. She seemed to be listening to something, but it wasn't Kabu; the statue was silent, as usual. The closer they came, the better they could hear… there was someone singing.

It wasn't the best singing, the notes were off and not necessarily on tune, but there was something else to it… something personal, deeper than merely sounding good to the ears; it sounded deeply into their hearts. It made the singing very beautiful. When they were close enough, Fumu noticed them and turned her face, looking surprised. Her smile grew by tenfold when she saw Kirby out of his bed and she straightened up, as if ready to jump to her feet. Kirby smiled back at her and carefully slid down from Azure's back, taking the box along with him and putting it on the ground, and he went to give her a hug. They all remained quiet, as if afraid to interrupt the singing, and when Kirby extended a hand toward Kabu, where the voice was coming from, Fumu mouthed a single word in silence.

 _Galacta_.

That explained it. Kirby was afraid to admit that he hadn't really followed what had happened with everyone else after his birthday; he had other concerns of his own. He remembered being told that Galacta Knight, trying to pull Galaxia out of him when he fished him out of the sea, electrocuted himself badly and had to be taken care of as well. After that, Kirby didn't know what he was up to now… He carefully listened to the singing, trying to make sense of the strange words he was using in the song; surely, that was his mother tongue, the tongue of his clan, but it sounded both so foreign and so… familiar.

He looked up at Fumu, only to see her gesture toward Kabu and nodding her head. She knew they needed to speak, and Kirby was grateful he didn't have to explain anything. There was too much going on right now… He would tell her everything later; especially about Sir Dragato's proposition… So, with a nod, Kirby gestured for Azure to follow and took the box back in his arms, and they both approached the fiery altar in front of Kabu. Behind it, what Kirby saw was just as he expected; Galacta Knight was there, sitting atop the stairs and looking down at the sanctuary, his back to them. He didn't make a move to let them know whether he knew they were there or not, so Kirby went to sit beside him atop the stairs, while Azure was going down into the chamber to poke around. The child put the box next to him, and calmly listened to the knight as he finished his song.

When he stopped singing, a strange silence filled the room, but, strangely, it wasn't heavy. This place usually had this effect on people; silence was filled with the whispers of the Universe, pouring in through Kabu and to their minds… Galacta turned his head to him; the knight was dressed casually, with no metal pieces anywhere. He gestured his head toward the box, asking:

"What do you have in there, lad?"

Without a word, Kirby took the box and brought it over to show him. The mercenary took a look inside, and Kirby saw a smile draw itself on his tired face. He took the book and looked it over, looking as if he had seen it countless times before that.

"So you opened your present, eh?" he guessed, making Kirby nod in answer.

"Yeah," the lad replied in a soft voice. "Sir Dragato came to talk to me. I guess it motivated me, or something… Sir Meta Knight left me a message in the gift. Apparently he crafted this armour himself. He also gave me this…"

He took the sigil from the box and showed it to him; seeing it brought a larger, nostalgic smile to the mercenary's face. He burrowed in a pocket of his belt and produced a pendant of his own; it was the very same sigil, except his had certainly seen better days. Galacta Knight chuckled lightly.

"Welcome to the family, lad," he told Kirby, making him smile. "You know, not a whole lot of people can get this without being born in the family. I think Meta only gave one other of these, to young Jecra when he took him in. It's a real honour to possess this thing, so keep it safe."

Kirby nodded his head, holding his pendant close to his heart while Galacta took out each armour part to observe it closer. He was looking over the mask and mumbling about how well crafted it was when Kirby said:

"He told me… that this pendant should be useful should I find the other clan members. What happened to them?"

"Ah," Galacta sighed, rubbing a hand on his forehead. "Yes, that was… a long time ago. You see, our home world, Khazta Star, was home to the last great clans of pure-blooded Kiridans, the rarest of our breed. When Nightmare heard tales of a Star Warrior who would stand up to face him – in the end, that was you – he listened to the rumours saying it would be one of us, and in response, attacked Khazta Star with all of his might. We were already in the army when it happened, but we couldn't do anything to stop the attack. We went back to Moonlight Hollow, our home town, but found it completely deserted. Not a single one of all the Kiridans who lived there remained. To this day, we don't know where they've gone. As far as I'm concerned, I believe they're still out there, hiding somewhere…"

He gave another sigh, and looked down at him.

"After I deserted the army, I searched for them far and wide. For all the years I spent searching the entire system planet after planet, I didn't find a single trace of them. I tried to gather information, but try to do that without bringing the attention of Nightmare's empire on you. After this genocide, our species officially became near extinct. There weren't a whole lot of us in the first place… Heck, I haven't seen a single female in ages. For all I know, there's only guys remaining. That wouldn't be good…"

While Kirby did find the prospect of there being only males left in their species both amusing and concerning, he thought about Khazta Star; when the mercenary had mentioned Moonlight Hollow, he could swear… he could picture the town in his head… without even ever seeing it… He saw a lake… and a large tree, atop a grassy hill… Maybe it was just his mind playing tricks on him, or trying to picture something he hadn't seen and what he was seeing was only a product of his imagination. He looked down at Azure, who was sniffing a corner of the room suspiciously.

"Maybe… if I had been there sooner, none of this would have happened…"

Galacta only shrugged.

"Truth be told, we thought we had already found the one told by the legends back then."

Kirby looked up at him, eyes widening.

"Really? Who?"

Galacta smirked.

"Who else? You see – I guess I'm free to tell you now – Meta used to have the very same powers as you. He could inhale things just like you, and transform into all sorts of forms just like you. Because of this power, he was trained early on with the mentality that he would one day face off against Nightmare, and he eventually became the strongest Star Warrior we've ever known."

Kirby stared at him, quiet for a short moment. Somehow… he wasn't that surprised…

"But… But he told me he didn't have any powers… I guess it was another lie then…"

"Actually… huh…"

He looked back up at the knight, only to see him look away to the side. His wings flattened a bit more against his back, and his hands went into fists.

"He didn't lie. He doesn't have these powers anymore. Thanks to me."

Kirby crossed his eyebrows. From the first time he brought it up with Meta Knight, he had had his own doubts about whether or not he was hiding something deeper, because it was clear that he knew more than anyone else was allowed to about his powers. His conversation with Sir Dragato earlier also told him as much…

"… Is it… why his face is so… like that?" he asked, careful with his choice of words.

Galacta answered him with a nod of his head. He looked off at the wall in front of them, but truly, he was looking far back into time, into the memories he had desperately tried to flee from…

"… It was a long time ago. We were struck by a surprise attack on a muddy planet I couldn't care to memorize the name of. At the time, I was part of a division of the army called the Winged Knights, and I was their captain. I also served as Meta's Shield; my job, basically, was to protect him from harm on the battlefield, no matter what. I was actually pretty optimistic about this battle. Class C demons are easy to plow through… so I grew reckless."

He sighed, and took in a deep breath, shaking his head as he mumbled some curse words under his breath, words directed at himself.

"I… I didn't see the grenade… before it was too late. It landed right next to me. I was about to die. At least, I _would have_ died… but Meta used his powers to bring the grenade over to him instead."

He had to pause and take another breath, and Kirby had to gulp. He was afraid of where this was going…

"That idiot… I don't… know why he did it…," Galacta continued in a quiet voice. "He saved me… He… After the explosion, I found him… sprawled on the ground, seemingly lifeless. I… I couldn't recognize him. I thought he had died on the spot… but Arthur ordered me to bring him back to HQ, and they kept him alive through some miracle."

"Was… Was it after that that you left…?" Kirby asked, forced to stop to clear his throat.

"Yeah… Yeah, it was a few days after that."

"But why did you leave if he was still alive?"

"Technically, he died at least four times while he was in care."

Kirby's eyes widened. Four times?!

"I couldn't take it anymore… I was ashamed, I was… dishonoured, and I was afraid… I didn't want to see him die by my fault… so I left. Didn't really think it through, either."

With a deep sigh, he rubbed his glove against his face and looked back down at him, his face expressing all the regret of the world.

"With all the luck of the stars," he said, "he survived, and I suppose he's hated me ever since. He made that pretty clear when I came here… Said I abandoned him… and he was right. I did."

He looked down at the Warp Star sitting on its pedestal down in the sanctuary. Azure was sitting next to it, looking up at him with his ears attentive. His eyes shone the same golden colour as Meta Knight's…

"But now," he said, looking back at Kirby, "I plan on changing that. He's gone to take care of his own business, and in the meantime, I want to make a new name for myself. Restore my honour, if you will. That's why I want to ask you if you'll allow me to be your Shield, like I once was to Meta."

Kirby blinked, surprised. Why did… everyone want to protect him so badly…? Sir Dragato, that Hailan ninja, and now Galacta Knight…

"But why?" he asked, genuinely confused. "Why do you all want to protect me…?"

"I don't know about everyone else," Galacta answered, "but as far as I'm concerned, I've been searching for my clan since I deserted, and now, after all these years, I've finally found one of us, so I'm not leaving. That sigil you got there is proof of that. As long as you keep this, you can count on me to shield you from harm."

Kirby looked down, thoughtful. A member of the clan… A real family… He raised his head back to him and smiled a true smile. Maybe… accepting the others' protection wasn't as bad as he thought. It wasn't proof that he was weak; it was proof he was loved.

"Thank you, Sir Galacta Knight," he replied, making the knight smirk.

Before any of them could say anything else, Kirby looked down at Azure, and was suddenly reminded of why he came here in the first place. He stood up, grabbing the knight's immediate attention.

"Actually," he told him, "maybe there's something you could help me with right now."

"What is it, lad?"

"In his message, Meta Knight said that he left something for me here… but I don't know what it is."

The knight's smirk got a bit wider upon hearing those words, and Kirby stopped talking, squinting his eyes as Galacta Knight stood up with a grunt.

"You know," he said as he descended the stairs with Kirby right behind him, "Meta is horrible with hiding places. Just by looking around a bit a couple months ago, I found it immediately. The same thing happened when we were kids and he kept finding new places to hide his journal. I always found it."

Galacta Knight stepped in front of the pedestal holding his Warp Star and went down on one knee so he was facing the stone slab right under the holder. He moved some moss and growing vines away from the sides and fidgeted a bit with the stone until both of his thumbs found small crevasses to hold on to. Carefully, he pulled the stone slab off, and with a grunt, carried it over to the side, allowing Kirby and Azure a look inside the pedestal. At first glance, it was only an empty space that reached the wall on the other side… but there was something sitting there, in the middle of the darkened space. Before Kirby could reach in, Galacta slid his arm right in and grabbed the object before taking it out. He held it in his palm in front of Kirby, presenting him with Meta Knight's secret treasure.

It was a little blue box that looked eerily familiar… Listening only to his curiosity, Kirby reached forward and opened it. What he found inside made his eyes widen in shock and his mind turn off for a good moment. It was a Warp Star; same shape and same size as his own, but its surface shone with a mysterious blue light. In response to seeing this object, his own Warp Star, sitting on its pedestal, began to glow as well, as if reacting to its presence. With his mouth open, Kirby took the star in his hands, careful as if it was the most fragile thing in the world, and its warm light tickled his skin.

"Meta always kept his Warp Star with him," Galacta Knight told him. "No matter where he went. Except…"

Kirby looked up to see the knight scratch his head, as if confused.

"His was a different colour at the time… I saw that thing everyday, I'm pretty sure it was silver. I have no idea why this one's different… but if he's leaving it with you, I guess it must still be important to him, mh?"

"I… guess," Kirby had to admit, it all sounded very strange. "But what does he want me to do with it?"

"I'm not sure. He was always told to leave his Warp Star with someone he trusted… Make of that what you will."

The blue light of the star shone on his face, and Kirby smiled. Someone he trusted… He could certainly accept that. He held the star against him, happy to see it glow in response…

* * *

That night, when Dreamland was asleep and the sky was alit with a bright moon and the arching rays of Popstar's rings, Kirby quietly exited his house. He had made sure that Azure was still sleeping, so he found himself alone for the first time that day. He couldn't sleep, not with everything going on in his mind. Quietly, he walked away from his house and toward the sea so he could walk along the beach. His arm and cheek were hurting again, so he tried taking deep breaths to numb the pain, but alas, he could only try and forget about it.

After retrieving Sir Meta Knight's Warp Star, Kirby had gone to find Sir Dragato. He accepted his offer; now more than ever, Kirby was aware that he couldn't just stay idle for too long, even despite his injuries. He had to start working again, so that whenever Meta Knight decided to show himself again, he would be facing a true Star Warrior. That was his plan, and he was motivated to keep to it – at least, for the time being.

He was calmly walking along the sand when, in the distance, he heard a strange sound that made him stop; it sounded like a guitar at first, but… different. Higher pitched, with a crisper and yet still beautiful sound. Someone was playing music over there… As always, he let his curiosity get the best of him, and the young lad walked toward the sound. It was only a little bit farther away, but eventually, he located the source. Sitting atop a large flat rock overlooking the sea, was the ninja, Hailan. He was holding an instrument that looked like some kind of luth or banjo, and was playing calm tunes in synch with the sounds of the waves. Without making a sound, Kirby approached some more, and the ninja slightly turned his masked face to him, but he didn't stop playing. His antennas rose in an arch above his head, giving him an inviting look, and he gestured him to come closer before resuming his notes.

Careful with his arm, a shy and quiet Kirby climbed the rock, and for a while, only stood there, unsure of what to do. That music was so relaxing… After a moment's hesitation, he finally sat down near the ninja, and listened calmly, letting himself being carried by the notes of the instrument off to distant and foreign lands, lands he so wanted to explore…

"It is late, Master Kirby."

The young Star Warrior blinked; the ninja was still playing, but he was looking over at him. At least, he thought he was. Stars, it was so hard to tell when you couldn't see the eyes…

"You should be resting," the ninja said in a soft voice.

"I'm not… I'm not sleepy," he answered, scratching his cheek timidly. "What instrument is that?"

"That is called a shamisen," was the answer, along with some more notes. "It is a most popular instrument on my home star. Do you want to try playing it?"

"W-well," Kirby stuttered, "I would, but… my hand still hurts a lot, I don't think I can hold it…"

The ninja gave a gentle nod as an answer, and continued playing. Kirby took in a deep breath. Now was the perfect time.

"I, huh… want to apologize…"

The ninja turned his head to him, and he continued.

"About the stuff I said earlier… I didn't mean to yell at you or anything. It happens a lot lately, I hate it… I get angry at nothing…"

The music stopped. Kirby looked up.

"You were possessed by a cloud of Dark Matter, correct?" Hailan asked, to which Kirby nodded his head. "It is a normal response to it. I, too, was once possessed by one, and I know all too well how hard it can be to recover… But you will in time, young master. You will in time."

"You were too?" Kirby repeated, surprised. "How did you get rid of it?"

"Lord Meta Knight freed me and my teammates from our struggle," was the answer. "Much like he freed you, from what I was told. I have been indebted to him ever since."

Hailan then carefully put his shamisen down, before taking something out of a fold of his kimono. He handed Kirby the memory drive containing Meta Knight's message, and Kirby's eyes widened upon seeing it.

"Lord Meta Knight holds you in great regard," Hailan told him. "You should be proud, Master Kirby. May I ask if you still refuse my services? If you do, I will not harass you more than I need to, and I shall take my leave if that is your wish."

"N-no, I, uh," Kirby stuttered, taking the memory drive back while his cheeks flushed a bright red. "I mean, I thought it over, and uh… It was really stupid of me to say no, and I should, huh, honour Sir Meta Knight's judgement. If he feels you're up for it, then I trust him. Any friend of his is a friend of mine, so I guess we can be friends!"

The ninja's antennas rose up again, as if he was surprised by his words, and the chuckle he then emitted sounded awfully… feminine.

It was under Kirby's widening gaze that Hailan brought a hand up to his mask and pulled it off. The face hidden underneath was very different from what he expected. His eyes, wide and elegant, were a bright yellow, and his face was covered in strange, glowing markings that reminded Kirby of a third eye on his forehead. Every feature on his face was a proof that Kirby had it all wrong from the moment he met him. Or should he say _her_.

"You're a girl?"

He didn't mean to sound so inquisitive or weirded out, but Hailan's reaction made him regret even asking in the first place. Her eyes went wide, and she looked shocked for a few solid seconds; before finally bursting in laughter. Without the mask in the way, her voice sounded much clearer, and much more melodious now that she wasn't toning it down to a male one. Kirby found himself at a loss for what to do and waited for her to calm down before saying:

"Huh, I mean, I'm sorry I didn't notice earlier!"

"Ohohoh! It is fine, Master Kirby," Hailan said, wiping a small tear away from her eye. "It's just that… I've been working for the GSA for thousands and thousands of years, and none of the Star Warriors there ever noticed I was a woman. And you, the moment you see my face, you call me out on it! Brilliant, if you allow me to say. You are very acute, Master Kirby."

Kirby chuckled, scratching the awkwardness away from his face. He was relieved! He thought he had offended her, and it was certainly the last thing he wanted to do now that he had apologized for their first meeting.

"That's awesome!" he laughed. "So no one else knows?"

"No one else but Lord Meta Knight and my brothers," Hailan answered. "However, if it is okay with you, I would like you to still refer to me as male, just in case. They'll find out on their own eventually, I'm sure."

Kirby nodded. Now this was a fun little secret he was privy to! He couldn't wait to see the others' reactions should they ever find out!

"So," Hailan said, grabbing his attention back. "Master Kirby. What will you do now? What are your plans?"

"I'm… gonna follow Sir Dragato. He wanted me to become his student, so… I guess we'll go to the Agency. You're coming along?"

Hailan nodded her head, and slightly bowed.

"Everywhere you go, I shall follow, whether you see me or not. You must be excited for this new adventure, Master Kirby."

"Kinda, yeah," he answered with a timid chuckle. "I feel… better, I think. I think going to the Agency will help."

"Yours are wounds that only time can heal," Hailan told him kindly. "But I have a feeling you may just well beat time itself, Master Kirby. You are a strong Star Warrior, after all. Keep in mind that if an obstacle is too great for you, you may count on me to aid you. That is my oath as a Blue Moon."

Kirby looked off into the distance.

"Thank you, Hailan… Truly."

The sea was calm tonight, and the moon and the lights of the sky reflected almost perfectly on its still surface. In this endless mirror, he saw all the possibilities that waited for him out there… And he smiled.

This was the start of a new age.

And he was now ready to face it.


	12. Dad's Home

**Fallen Stars: A New Age**

 **Act 2 - Chapter One: Dad's Home**

* * *

Somewhere in the vast Universe, tucked between two swirling galaxies and endless clouds of dancing, colourful matter, was the Gamble Galaxy. The stories tell that it was in this very galaxy that, two decades ago, a young Star Warrior appeared as if out of nowhere, and faced off against the Emperor of Dreams himself, Nightmare. With the stars' light in his hands, the young one brought an end to the Dream Wars, a battle that had taken everything to wage. And now, without the fear of nightmares hiding in every corner, the Universe was a safe place to live in once more, thanks to this young one.

The Gamble Galaxy was home to many habitable worlds, some of which hidden, some well known across the system, and others filled with mystery. One of these was a star called Popstar; a shining gem tucked away in a lone corner of the galaxy, forgotten and peaceful.

A man in his starship was now headed toward this lone star, in hopes of meeting with the young Star Warrior; he had heard so much about him travelling the Universe, he could not go on without making a stop there. The Kiridan man raised his head from his controls to the vast colourful clouds that surrounded his ship, and thought about how beautiful this part of the galaxy was. Aah, he thought to himself, his wife and child would surely love this place if they were here! Perhaps one day he could bring them to visit…

As he was approaching the shining star in the distance, the man squinted his eyes, as he saw something floating up ahead amongst some debris. It was another starship, but this one was smaller and sleeker in design. At first glance, it seemed to be abandoned… but when he got closer to it, he saw them. Shadows, dancing and prowling around the ship. They were trying to get in, throwing their ethereal bodies against the carcass of the vessel, but couldn't get through its surface; every time they struck, the ship's shields reacted, pushing them away successfully, but it didn't seem like it would hold on forever.

Crossing his eyebrows, the man brought his ship closer and quickly activated the spotlights at the front. As soon as the bright lights shone on them, the shadows turned their evil gazes toward his ship, and he saw their pupils shrink before they scattered away like scared mice, vanishing into the darkness of the Universe like mirages. The Kiridan sighed. He had seen these things much too often on his way to this galaxy…

Carefully bringing his ship closer to the smaller vessel, he shone the lights through the glass and saw the pilot sitting on the only seat; only, it was a little girl! The gravity was deactivated in her ship, and she was limply floating, her waist still attached to her seat, and she seemed unconscious. Her ship had probably crashed against the debris and she had hit her head… He couldn't leave her here like this, especially if there were Dark Matter lurking about.

The Kiridan stood up from his seat and left the cockpit before heading toward the decompression chamber. On the way, he grabbed a spare suit and helmet. Being able to breathe the ether present in space, Kiridans had no problem going out without a suit and an oxygen tank, and so the man exited his ship, immediately feeling the lack of gravity disorienting. He floated over to the girl's ship and entered through the chamber located under it, and continued to float his way through to the pilot's cockpit, where he was able to see the girl correctly.

Of all things, a fairy! But their home star was on the other side of this galaxy… Why was she here of all places? With no time to question, the Kiridan undid the belt holding her attached to the seat and carefully dressed her in the suit he had brought. After that, he brought her over to his ship, where he laid her down on the only bed there was. She looked so young, even for fairy standards… Her hair was semi-long, a bright pink colour, and she was wearing a cherry red dress, with a matching ribbon tying her hair. Her skin was the colour of porcelain, but already her cheeks were growing pink again, which he thought of as a good sign. He was not a doctor, and his knowledge of head injuries was fairly limited despite his age; he knew he needed to bring her to a real doctor, and quick.

The Kiridan quickly headed back to his seat, and set in a course for Popstar on his console; on this planet, he would find the help she needed, he knew it. And perhaps, at the same time, he would meet this hero, spoken in the stories that were rapidly spreading around the Universe… stories that reminded him oh so much of his dear, long gone son…

* * *

A bright neon light shone above him. To his left, there was a large and wide window, that allowed him a sight of the stars and the nearby dancing nebulas outside the station. He could even see a few ships flying by, patrolling the area.

"Tell me, Kirby. How have you been feeling since our last meeting? If I recall, you told me you felt, and I quote, "just peachy"."

Five years had passed since Kirby joined the Demon Hunter Agency.

"Heh, yeah, well… I feel a lot better, actually. I've been able to focus a lot better on my job recently. Feels good."

These years went by so fast, he didn't even see them fly away; like a flock of startled birds, there a moment, gone the next.

"That's good to hear, dear. And what about your dreams? When was the last time you had a nightmare?"

Since he joined and became an apprentice Hunter, Kirby had been training under the wing of Sir Dragato, the eldest of all the Kiridan Star Warriors. The man had long retired from being a commander, but he was still an excellent teacher and advisor, one that grew to be close to Kirby, who desperately needed one such as him in these troubled times. Kirby even started reading his books; needless to say, Sir Dragato was an excellent writer.

"Mmh… I don't actually recall. I guess this is a good sign. But…"

After five years of training and hard work, Kirby was now almost ready to become a Hunter Star Warrior, the highest rank of Hunters in the Agency, and he was feeling excited about his nearing promotion, as it meant he would have more freedom in his choices from now on. But his training with Sir Dragato, on the other hand, was only starting… He still had yet to master the combined abilities, even after five years… It felt like there was a blockade set in his path, and he didn't know how to cross it.

"Is something the matter, dear?"

"Well, I haven't had a nightmare in a while, but my dreams are… really freaky still. I don't know how to say it. They're… weird, and nonsensical."

"Can you describe them to me, Kirby?"

One year after he arrived at the Agency, Sir Arthur got him in contact with a therapist that had just found a job at HQ; Miss Evadi, as she was called. Kirby was told that she would help him deal with his insecurities, that he would be able to go through his Dark Matter sickness easier if he could speak freely of his fears and worries to someone such as her. Although he was hesitant at first, the young Star Warrior quickly warmed up to her, and today, four years later, Kirby was glad to say that he did feel a lot better.

"Mmh… In most of them, I'm in, like, a really familiar yet unknown place. It's often the same, sometimes it changes. It looks like a town, in some sort of cave under the surface. Other times I'm in cities I've never seen, with people whose names I don't know, but in my dreams, it's like I know these places and these people, but I don't at the same time. I'd look at someone and recognize their face, but they don't have names. Sometimes their faces change too… There's things that don't match up either, like last night. In my dream, I was playing with some kids in the town, and then some guy showed up and yelled at me because I was too lazy and he made me do twenty push-ups. And those kids were still running around me as I was doing those push-ups! It was so weird… I don't really know what to make of those dreams, to be honest…"

Recently, Kirby was hard at work on a personal project of his; to discover if he could recreate the power he utilized against Meta Knight, five years ago. Sir Galacta Knight had told him all about it.

 _Those abilities, Meta used them a lot way back then. He called them Super Abilities. Don't give me that look, I know, stupid name. They were very powerful versions of already existing abilities, such as the Sword, Fire, Beam, Ice, and so on. He believed there existed a 'Super' version of each existing ability, but he never found all of them. He stopped using them before he could._

 _Why did he stop?_

 _Well… I'll tell you another time. Just focus on finding them first, it's no use to discourage you._

Galacta Knight never told him why Meta Knight stopped using those abilities, but Kirby was determined to find them. He had already found the Ultra Sword ability, but he had yet to recreate it on his own. Maybe only some special circumstances provoked the ability? He still needed to find that out… but now, after five years, he felt ever closer to the truth…

"Those dreams of yours do sound quite peculiar. How long have you been experiencing them?"

"A few months, I'd say. They were less frequent back then, but now I'm getting them quite often. I mean, I'd take them over nightmares anytime, but I still want to sleep, you know…"

"I see. Look, for now, we'll do just like with the nightmares. Start a new dream journal, and next time we meet, we'll look over the entries and see if we can pull something out of this. Is that alright with you?"

"Sounds good to me, I was thinking I should do that…"

Now, Kirby was laying on Miss Evadi's couch on his back, in her cozy little office. He had spent hours in his place, speaking with her of everything and nothing, sometimes even just staring at the ceiling in silence. Kirby turned his head to look at her. Miss Evadi was of a strange foreign species that weren't well known in this Universe; Halcandrans. Halcandra, their home star, was located far in another dimension connected to theirs, a different plane that could easily be crossed to with the aid of the correct technology. Miss Evadi had crossed over to this dimension a long time ago, and hadn't gone back in a long time, nor did she ever plan to.

Halcandrans were very odd yet fascinating creatures. Their bodies consisted of one floating mass covered in clothing, with no feet, and floating, detached hands that drifted apart of their body. Miss Evadi's clothing was quite odd as well; a white cape, shaped like a spider web along the edges, with a shorter blue fabric draped over her shoulders like a shawl, her body was covered in a fabric of the same white, but an emblem reminiscent of a cog was embroidered on its front in golden fabric, detailed as if it was a mechanical sun.

Being horned creatures – or long-eared, Kirby could not tell which and was afraid of being rude if he asked – Halcandrans wore a hood to cover those horns, which, in Miss Evadi's case, were shaped like a waving S with the tip going downward. Under the hood was a gentle face with a brown skin; her blue eyes were kind and trustful, and her smile never failed to make Kirby feel better.

As of himself, Kirby had grown quite a lot in the last five years; and by a lot, he meant a couple inches. He was now tall enough to wear the armour Meta Knight crafted for him, and wear it proudly he did. Now, though, he was only wearing the gloves, as he, like all members of his species, eventually started growing fingers. He thought it was too freaky to look at his fingers as they grew – actually even referring to them as lobster claws – so he always wore the gloves and rarely took them off now. They were quite warm and cozy, too. On his right cheek, a large and visible scar was still and would always stand as a reminder of what had happened five years ago…

"Actually," Kirby said, looking over at the clock on the wall, "I won't be able to stay for the whole hour today."

"Mmh? Didn't you tell me you were on vacation?" Miss Evadi asked with her strong accent, thinking he had to go on a hunting mission.

"Oh yeah, I am," Kirby said as he sat up on the couch. "I'm actually going back to Popstar for some time, and I'm leaving tonight. I still haven't packed any luggage, and Sir Dragato's been telling me to clean up my room before I leave… Still haven't done that either…"

Miss Evadi chuckled and put down her notepad, saying:

"Oh, I see. It does sound like you have a lot of work left to do. Are you excited to go back home? It's been a while since you've been there, if I recall."

"Yeah," Kirby sounded nostalgic as he looked off toward the ground. "It's been a while… Bun goes back a lot more often than me. I don't know, I always think I'm wasting my time when I go there…"

"Even Star Warriors need to take a break sometime," Miss Evadi said, to which he nodded in approval. "How do you feel exactly about going back home? Is it a waste of time now?"

Kirby had to take a moment to think of his answer. He heaved a short, yet heavy sigh.

"I… I'm not sure, really. It's still my home, but… I feel like a stranger when I go there. I mean, people don't ignore me, far from that. The kids all want to play with me like before, everyone else is always asking me tons of questions and, heck, they even ask me for silly little jobs like they used to. But I don't know, everything feels… off, to me."

The young man wasn't quite sure how to explain his feelings. He still held Dreamland and Popstar dearly at the core of his heart, but at the same time, he would rather… not go there at all.

"I see… Does… Pupu Village feel empty to you, Kirby?" Miss Evadi carefully questioned, looking up from her notes to him.

The young Star Warrior blinked… and slowly nodded his head.

"I… I think so," he answered in a mumble. "I feel… I mean, I'm never alone, but when I'm there… I feel lonely. So, I guess yeah, it is empty there… I used to spend all my days playing with friends, and when I wasn't doing that… I was training with him. Now that I'm older, I don't really feel like playing all the time, and, well, he's not there, so… Yeah. Yeah, it's empty…"

He sighed and rubbed his face.

"I mean, what am I going to do there?" he asked, turning his face to her. "Just… sleep around all day? I guess I used to do that, but…"

Miss Evadi couldn't help but smirk and remark:

"Well, you did grow a lot in the past years, so it's normal that you feel this way. You changed your ways since you came here, didn't you?"

"Heh, I guess I did," he agreed. "Maybe I should, huh… try to relax then?"

"That's what vacations are for," Miss Evadi answered. "I think you should take this time to reflect on yourself while you're home. I noticed that you often try to shy away from your own thoughts by working, but you shouldn't be afraid of yourself, Kirby. Do you understand what I mean?"

Without a word, he nodded his head. He never could really hide anything from her, not even after four years of meeting her regularly. She just had an eye for these things.

"So I should meditate more?" he asked, to which she nodded in response.

"Yes, but there is no need to focus on your abilities as you are used to by now. Just focus on yourself instead, try to see if there is something else about Dreamland that might make you feel better about going there. I can tell you love this place, Kirby, and from all that you've told me, the people there love you too. Just try to remember that."

Kirby remained quiet a moment. Maybe she was right. His loneliness might just be keeping his eyes away from what he used to love about Dreamland. If he could see it again, maybe he would feel better about going there indeed… He didn't want to abandon his home; he was willing to try.

Kirby left Miss Evadi's office ten minutes later, feeling a bit better about going to Dreamland. Now that his meeting was done with, he was able to go back to his room and pack up. He was walking through the busy halls of the Agency, waving to a few Hunters here and there and greeting some friends on the way, when he heard a little beeping noise from his belt. He pulled up his little radio and brought it to his face, asking:

"Yeah?"

" _Hey buddy,"_ Bun's voice echoed from the device. " _You finished packing yet? I'm over at the lounge area and Sir Galacta Knight's here and he says you're late."_

Kirby scoffed and laughed.

"Of course he would say that," he replied, turning in another hallway. "I'm not late, I'm right on time! I just finished my meeting with Miss Evadi, I'm heading for my room now. Tell him to be patient for once! Sir Drag said I had to clean my room too…"

" _Heh, he just heard all of that,"_ Bun answered with a chuckle. " _Well, just let me know when you're done, my own stuff's all packed. I'll be in the lounge area when you're done."_

"Alright, see you later," Kirby finished before putting away his radio.

The young Star Warrior walked back to his room, feeling a bit tired. He couldn't wait to be done packing so he could go take a nap during the trip back home! When he opened the room, he turned the lights on and looked around his messy quarters. Kirby's quarters were actually made of two separate rooms; the first was an office, one he would use sooner than he thought to arrange missions and work as a Hunter; for the time being, he was using the office and the desk for his studies, and spread around the room were all kinds of tools and notes on his abilities and demon-beasts, so he could learn as much as possible. The other room, separated by a door that he strangely found to be open, was his sleeping quarters.

When Kirby approached the door to investigate why it was open, he needed only take a look at his bed to understand. Sleeping on his covers – and most likely leaving all of his fur on his sheets – was Azure, his dear Wolfwrath friend. Azure had grown quite a lot in the past five years; and by a lot, he meant three times the size he was when they joined. The Wolfwrath was a huge beast – one that didn't seem to notice how big he was at times. Four long spikes were grown fully on his back, along with a large, dark oceanic blue gem on his forehead, and his fur had turned a darker shade of ashen tree bark, with the stripes of ember only brightening as time passed.

Now Azure was a full grown Wolfwrath, and that came with all the tools a Wolfwrath possessed; his bite could render anyone completely frozen, whether it was a Hunter or another demon-beast, and he could create flames and grow stronger the more fire there was around him. Azure was fast and dangerous, and those skills were exactly what the Agency needed to deal with many types of demon-beasts. No matter how Azure was used, however, he gladly did it only when it was Kirby who told him to; if someone else stepped up and gave him an order, he would ignore it completely. No one really wanted to argue with this giant beast, so no Hunter ever tried to order him around; not since the 'incident'.

With a deep, annoyed sigh, Kirby approached his bed, saying:

"Ugh, Azure! I told you a million times, don't sleep on my bed! Look, there's hair all over the place!"

While Kirby busied himself with picking up all the clothes and objects laying on the ground around the room, Azure slowly raised his head and blinked his glowing eyes at him. Without a word, the giant beast stretched his legs out, opening his gigantic maw in a long, satisfying yawn… before rolling back into a ball, with his head facing Kirby. His deep and monotone voice resounded in Kirby's head, like an otherworldly whisper coming from within.

" _You seem tensed. What is wrong?"_

"I'm not tensed," Kirby answered without looking at him, taking two pieces of clothing and putting them away in his drawers. "I'm just a bit nervous, is all. It's nothing. How about you help me out cleaning this place instead of judging me?"

For a long moment, as if he was considering it, Azure didn't say or do anything, until he eventually stood up from the bed and slid down on the ground. He vigorously shook himself, but all it did was send even more hair all over the place, aggravating Kirby who told him:

"When we get home, you're getting groomed whether you like it or not, ya big furball!"

Azure slightly grimaced at the idea of his hair being pulled in all directions with a brush, but he said nothing and went around the room gathering all the junk laying on the floor to put it away. Kirby turned back to what he had been doing, already lost in the sea of his thoughts. Was he that tensed? He did feel nervous, maybe anxious, at the idea of going back home, but he wasn't that tensed… was he? He grimaced when he realized he had been frowning for the past minute, and attempted to twitch his face back into a normal expression, but ultimately failed. He sighed.

There was no need to be so anxious… No need at all.

With both of them working efficiently, both of the rooms were cleaned under a few minutes, leaving much enough time for Kirby to pack his luggage. He didn't need much; clean clothes, his armour – just in case – , some packs of sweets he always kept nearby and a few other things to help pass the time. When he closed up his backpack, he straightened up and looked around the room. It felt so strange to see it so neat and empty… It felt like he was leaving for a long, long time…

" _Relax,"_ Azure told him from where he was sitting near the door. " _We'll be back before you know it. You need this vacation."_

Kirby turned to him, taking his backpack over his arm, and said:

"Yeah, I guess you're right… Ready?"

Azure nodded his head and stood up, but as they were both exiting the quarters, Kirby suddenly stopped and gasped:

"Oh shit! My Warp Star! I knew I was forgetting something!"

The young Star Warrior quickly turned back and ran back in, and he headed straight for his bedside table. Opening it, he was relieved when he found the two blue boxes inside, right where they should be. He took the box containing his own Warp Star and put it in a smaller pocket of his backpack, but as he was about to close it back up, he looked down at the other box… the one containing the other star. Kirby always felt strange about this star. It was just there, like a quiet presence watching him. He didn't know how to feel about it… Maybe… he could take this vacation time to tame it. Besides… leaving it behind felt like leaving _him_ behind…

His decision made, Kirby extended his hand in the shelf and took the box. He opened it, to confirm that it was still there…

The blue star shone brightly in his eyes.

The light grew and grew, blinding him completely.

He felt light, so light, like he had no body to hold him in.

He was sucked right into that light.

And there was nothing but white, pure white with no darkness.

Lost in this radiance, Kirby began to hear things…

Whispers, floating around him, dancing in and out of his ears…

He listened, but they made no sense. They were murmuring in an unknown tongue, unknown yet so familiar.

The more he listened, however, the clearer they became… until his mind understood them.

" _Do you… have a name for him?"_

That voice… was so familiar… He had heard it before…

" _I was thinking… of Kirby… If you don't mind, of course."_

The white began to clear… but barely. The image that spread out before him was blurred, it was as if his mind was desperately trying to censor it, it was like he wasn't meant to see it.

" _Kirby… It's a beautiful name."_

" _Kirby!"_

"Master Kirby! Wake up…"

Everything vanished in an instant; all he did was blink his eyes open, and it suddenly dawned on him that he had been holding his breath. He gasped out, his body jerking up in a sudden spasm as he brutally dove back in his body head first. The confused young man looked up, out of breath, and saw the familiar faces of Azure and Hailan, the latter kneeling in front of him and holding his face. The ninja's touch was gentle enough that he didn't back away from him, but his eyes remained hazy and lost… Hailan, whose face was completely concealed behind his mask, looked like he could read all of his thoughts; he sighed in relief.

"Are you alright, Master Kirby?" he asked in his usual deeper, male-like voice that he used to talk with anyone. "Azure called me, saying you suddenly fainted. Do you recall what happened?"

Kirby, still confused, raised a hand to his head and shook it, answering in silence. He could barely understand what it was he saw… He could still see the faint glow of the light, imprinted in his retina. Hailan remained quiet, but he picked up the blue star from the ground, which Kirby dropped when he fell over, and looked at it thoughtfully.

"Azure said you took it out of its box," he said calmly.

"I don't…," Kirby mumbled, confused. "I don't remember anything… I think I saw something, but… I can't recall…"

Hailan hummed lightly, and he carefully put the blue star back in its box, saying:

"Perhaps it would be best if you left this in its container. Just to be sure, I will be keeping it for yo-"

"No, I," Kirby interrupted, staring at the box. "It's fine, I'm alright. I can keep it, I just need to be careful around it."

The ninja remained quiet, and though it was clear he wanted to keep it away from him for his safety, he complied with his demand and handed him the box back. The ninja helped him stand back on his feet, and though Kirby felt loopy for a short moment, he thanked him with a light smile. He put the box in his backpack next to his own Warp Star; he definitely would need to look into this… This wasn't normal. He had seen something, and it aggravated him that he could not recall what exactly it was. With Azure and Hailan, the young Hunter finally exited his quarters, locking his door behind him.

No matter what he had seen… it was time to go.

* * *

The cappies of Pupu Village were overly excited; a ship had just landed right in the outskirts of town! At first, they expected it to be their hero Kirby; after all, the young Hunter was coming back for a vacation, they had been told, and they were now expecting him at any moment. But that ship was unlike anything anyone had ever seen. Small, shaped like a shiny pearl, this was a foreign vessel, and so the cappies remained at a good distance, all watching as the hatch opened. Fumu, along with the Mayor and the elders of town, pushed her way to the front of the crowd, her eyes narrowed in suspicion. It was certainly not the first time that strangers arrived in this land of dreams; by now, she knew how to deal with foreigners.

However…

The man who walked out of that vessel…

Looked nothing like a foreigner.

He was a Kiridan. A blade attached to his back, a belt around his waist, metal boots, gloves. A blue skin as deep and dark as the ocean depths…

Fumu brought her hand to her mouth and backed away one step. This was impossible. Or rather, improbable.

The man looked at her; he wore no mask to hide his face, and a kind visage spoke many words to her. Compared to all the other Kiridans she had ever seen, he was gigantic; tall, imposing, wearing strange clothes that reminded her of vikings, with a furry cape and a single flat metal pauldron on his left shoulder. His face, though gentle, was marked by three visible scars, and he had what appeared to be grown fur around his face, like a thick beard. This man's eyes were a pale, bright green… He looked from left to right, as if trying to identify the species he was confronting, and then he focussed on her when she spoke up.

"Sir… Sir Meta Knight…?" the cappy woman asked, causing the crowd behind her to murmur and gasp.

But it couldn't be him. He was too different, and yet so similar. He looked at her, his face expressing many different emotions; confusion, surprise, happiness… The Kiridan shook his head and answered, his words struggling in a heavy accent:

"Oy am not Meta Knight. Do you know 'im?"

Fumu nodded her head, and straightened herself, trying to look a bit more natural than suspicious. She felt no evil intent from this man…

"Yes," she answered him. "He once lived here, but not anymore. Who are you?"

At first, the Kiridan man appeared disappointed; his eyes looked down, and his head moved a bit downward as well, murmuring some words in his native tongue. But he quickly looked up, blinking his tall eyes back into seriousness, and he bowed forward, politely answering:

"Moy name is Azure Khano. It's a pleasure to meet ye."

But before Fumu could introduce herself, he straightened up and his eyes expressed worry; he gestured toward his ship.

"Forgive me for moy _iren_ , but do ye have a docter?" he asked, causing the crowd to shift as they looked for Doctor Yabui. "Oy found a lost girl on me way here, and I fear she is hurt."

It took but a short moment for the town's doctor to arrive at the front of the crowd, and he immediately advanced toward the ship, saying:

"I'm here! Let's see what the problem is."

And while Doctor Yabui headed in the small ship with the man, the crowd surrounded the vessel, the rumour rising up into a tornado of questions. Fumu did not move.

This man, Kirby had told her about him, five years ago.

He was Sir Meta Knight's father.

And with Kirby arriving shortly, she had no doubt that she would have a lot of explaining to do.


	13. Welcome To The Family

**Fallen Stars: A New Age**

 **Act 2 - Chapter Two: Welcome To The Family**

* * *

Space.

Such a mysterious yet familiar thing. He knew these stars like the back of his hand, and yet, whenever his gaze wandered outside and the light of the stars reflected in his widening pupils, he would lose himself in this infinity. No matter how he looked at it, it would just go on and on and on.

"Oy, lad."

The engine was purring around him, a calm vibrance that rumbled kindly through his body. Outside the ship, beautiful lights shone along with infinite stars, passing by and morphing like clouds pushed around by invisible winds, as if mimicking his own thoughts. He was unsure of his feelings; he knew he was here to relax, and yet… he couldn't shake that horrible gut-wrenching feeling that kept nibbling at him. There was something… out there… He didn't know what, but it was there. Waiting for him.

In his backpack, the blue Warp Star was calling him… a distant and unheard voice echoing endlessly in deaf ears…

"Ey, lad!"

Kirby blinked out of his reverie and turned his head toward the piloting cockpit, from which Sir Galacta Knight was calling him. The knight, seeing that he finally had his attention, turned his head back to the commands, saying:

"Ye feeling alright, boy? You look a little pale there, you feel sick?"

Kirby sat there immobile for a moment before wildly shaking his head, rubbing his hands on his face to bring colour back to it. Self-conscious, he partially wrapped his cape around his shoulders; its warmth was like a cocoon…

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine," came the simple answer. "Guess I'm just tired. Are… Are we there yet?"

The knight chuckled lightly, answering:

"We'll be under the warm sky of Dreamland soon, lad. A little bit of sun will do you good, ye got paler in the past few months."

"Did I?" Kirby crossed his brows, looking down at his arms to see his skin, before looking over to Azure for confirmation.

The large Wolfwrath, who was laying on the ground next to his seat, raised his head to squint his glowing eyes at him, before cocking his head to the side. Oh, right, Azure couldn't see that sort of thing. His eyes were strictly able to see the heat waves emanating from people and his environment, nothing else but shapes and temperatures.

"Oh, you did," Bun answered for the wolf, making them look over to him.

The ship they were travelling in was rather small; a cockpit for the pilot and co-pilot – in this case, Galacta Knight and Hailan respectively – with a small space behind it where a maximum of ten passengers could sit. It had the bare minimum for short journeys, the perfect ship for such a boring voyage from the Agency to Popstar; meaning, it was very low on food, and Kirby was getting hungry. Bun sat across from him; well, sitting was a choice word for it. He laid on his back across two seats, his arms crossed behind his head. The older cappy was looking over to him; even five years later, his bangs still hid his eyes from view, but already his face was more mature, more sculpted, with the shade of a shaved beard growing around his chiseled chin.

"You look awful, pal," Bun told his Kiridan brother, who turned his face away back to the window with a small scoff. "What's bothering ya?"

"Nothing," Kirby lied awfully, feeling his cheeks warm up as he did. "Can't wait to get home to get some sun, I guess."

"Wow," Bun awed in a fake manner, trying to hold a laugh in as he observed his friend. "That was the most awful lie I've ever heard. You really must be down."

"He's right, lad," he heard from Galacta Knight at the front of the ship, making his cheeks flush suddenly. "That was bad."

"J-just shut up, both of you!" he hollered toward them. "For Nova's sake, I'm fine, I'm telling you!"

Self-conscious, Kirby looked down at his arm…

His skin really was paler than usual.

* * *

The warm sun of Popstar – although Kirby couldn't tell whether he had missed it or not, it was certainly nice to see it again after all this time. As they were descending into orbit, the Kiridan was reminded of the first day he had done the same thing, in his little space cradle… and, somehow, found himself grimacing. Thinking about this made him think about the past, and the past reminded him of a certain missing knight… Shaking his head, he straightened up in his seat with a deep breath. The ship was shaking moderately, as was usually the case when going down through the atmosphere; it stopped when they had crossed the most treacherous part of the sky, and almost suddenly, the ship found itself surrounded in blue. Looking through the window next to him, Kirby looked down; Dreamland was over there, a lone island in the middle of the Orange Ocean.

His heart began to beat faster, and he had to take in more deep breaths to keep it down. Why was he so nervous…? This was his home, right? There was no reason to feel this way… Just calm down, Kirby… A dry snout suddenly touched his hand and he jerked his head to the side with a short gasp, only to see Azure looking up at him with concern in his eyes. Kirby didn't say anything; instead, all he did was pet the wolf kindly on the muzzle, which made its throat rumble lightly with a purr of comfort. It softly resonated through Kirby's hand, bringing much needed warmth into his heart…

"Alright, we're here!" Galacta Knight announced as the ship circled the island in search of Pupu Village. "Aah, I didn't think I'd miss this place as much as I did! Grab your stuff back there, we'll be there in a minute."

Both Kirby and Bun detached their seat belts and did as they were told, in total silence, while Galacta Knight conversed with Hailan about Dreamland. The young Kiridan could feel his friend cast worried glances his way, but he didn't answer to them. He didn't wish to worry him further than needed… He was already bad enough at lying, he knew for a fact that he wouldn't be able to hide his melancholy. It would be a problem with Fumu, though…

In the last five years, Pupu Village had expanded even more; now that the Agency had more access to it, a simple base had been built outside of town, along with a proper landing site for incoming ships. The base had very little staff who had very little to do, but last time they heard from them, the soldiers here weren't complaining; like Galacta Knight had once said five years back, it was like a paid vacation in paradise!

When the carrier ship initiated landing, Kirby had to hold himself with a nearby safety pole, suddenly feeling a little bit light-headed; the sounds around him deafened, and little black dots began to decorate the edges of his vision… He shook his head, blinking his eyes multiple times to chase the dark away. Maybe a nap on the beach would do him good. Not only would he get the rest he apparently needed, he would also get the tan he also apparently needed. Two birds with one stone, and nothing to worry about!

The ship filled with silence when the engine was turned off, and only now did Kirby realize that they had landed and that the hatch was open; already Bun was taking all the stuff they had brought outside, where he hollered over to the nearby hunters, and Azure promptly waltzed outside, eager for some fresh air. As Kirby was about to do the same, a call from behind stopped him.

"Master Kirby."

He turned around; Hailan had come out of the cockpit and was taking his own baggage, although he had very little compared to him. Galacta Knight walked past Kirby, tapping him on the back as he exited the ship as well, leaving Kirby alone with Hailan. The ninja walked toward him and did something he did not expect; he raised his mask on top of his head, flattening the antennas underneath and revealing the beauty of a female visage. Her eyes shone brightly as she observed him closely; Kirby felt like she could see right through him, and perhaps even deeper… Those glowing eyes of hers were something else…

"I can tell, Master Kirby, that you are perturbed," she said in a soft voice, to which Kirby did not dare answer back. "Whatever happened in your quarters earlier, it has been affecting you ever since. Your energies are spiralling out of order… and your core is shivering. I worry for your well-being, Master Kirby."

Kirby didn't really know what she was talking about, but he didn't question it; instead, he looked a bit to the side, trying to look away from her hypnotic gaze.

"I… I guess you're right," he answered in a low tone. "But what can I do about it? Should I just sleep it off? I've been feeling weird for a while now…"

Hailan hummed lightly, rubbing her hand against her chin as she searched for a possible solution.

"Perhaps it would do you good to rest, indeed," she replied. "But please, Master Kirby, I must ask that you do not seal yourself in. If you need to talk, then please, do. If you need someone to listen, know that I am here."

Kirby sighed, and though he was reluctant to do so, he nodded his head in agreement. There was no way around it, and he knew it. After five years of seeing Miss Evadi, at least he knew the benefits of speaking about his feelings and letting go of the little monsters nipping away at his mind.

"Alright," he said softly. "Thanks, Hailan. I really can't hide anything from you, can I?"

"No one ever could, and neither can you," was her answer, powdered with a lightly amused smirk decorating her face. "You can go now, I do believe I see Miss Fumu coming this way."

She immediately dropped the mask back onto her face, and she became a man in disguise once more. He gestured toward Kirby's luggage on the ground, as if asking if he needed help carrying it, but Kirby quickly bent down and took his backpack himself, raising back up with a silly smile plastered on his face – a smile he hoped didn't appear _too_ fake. Together, they exited the ship, and out into the suddenly bright sun of Dreamland they walked.

Kirby had to blink multiple times to get his eyes used to the brightness, and once they adjusted, he looked around himself. There were a maximum of five hunters stationed here, and they were all present around the ship, offering their help mainly for the maintenance of the carrier. They saluted Kirby as he walked out, and he saluted back.

As was usually the case, the weather was nice; a blue sky, lively green grass all around the landing site, a fresh salty breeze coming from the sea as the wind blew by, the landing site completely and utterly empty… except for that one, strange ship over there. Kirby stopped in his tracks and focused his gaze on it, confused. What a strange shape it was… A shiny pearl under the sun, it almost appeared organic in nature. He took his attention away from the odd vessel when he heard a most familiar voice and turned his head.

Aah, Fumu! As radiant as always, perhaps even more thanks to that sparkle of happiness in her eyes as she hugged the daylights out of her brother. By the looks of it, she had already gotten to Azure first as the Wolfwrath was laying on the ground as if still recovering from a brutal petting assault, his tail wagging and hitting the ground without stopping. Was it only him, or did she appear… smaller than the last time he had seen her? Or maybe, by chance, it was _him_ who had grown, in which case he was happy about the change. Nevertheless, Kirby found himself quite happy to see her even despite his previous doubts and uncertainties, and when she raised her sparkling eyes to him and called his name, he smiled back at her and went toward his family to receive a choking hug from his dear sister.

"Oh, look at both of you!" Fumu smiled brightly like a gem as she looked from Bun to Kirby with a fond look. "Kirby, did you grow again?"

"Did I?" Kirby smirked, extending his arms to look at himself, suddenly full of hope.

"It's all his boots," Bun joked, making his sister snicker and his little brother pout; what a shame!

With a deep sigh, Fumu again looked at all three of them, and seeing her eyes shine that way relieved Kirby of some of his anxiety; just seeing her kind face was enough… They all turned when Galacta Knight and Hailan arrived; Galacta smiled in that way he only did around her and kissed her hand, saying:

"Aah, Miss Fumu, what a pleasure to see you again!"

Kirby looked at Fumu's reaction closely; ever since Galacta Knight had first showed up in Dreamland, the young warrior had noticed a change in his sister's behaviour around the knight, especially when he greeted her that way. And just as he expected, he saw her face flush a bit redder than it previously was, and her smile grew a teensy bit more as she greeted him back, saying:

"Hello Sir Galacta Knight, it's a pleasure to see you too."

When he backed away, she turned to Hailan, who politely bowed down as greeting, making her bow right back. While the four of them exchanged words on how they were doing, Kirby felt Azure's nose on his arm, making him turn his head. The Wolfwrath gestured his head toward the side, and they both looked back at the unknown ship; suddenly, all of his thoughts converged back to it. He turned back to Fumu and asked:

"Whose ship is that?"

He pointed toward it, and her face suddenly lit up with a surprised look, as if she was just reminded of something truly important. She almost lost her composure, first looking toward Kirby as she attempted to say something, but then quickly looking over to Galacta Knight, finally responding:

"Oh! Yes, that's right! It's, uhm, it's a Kiridan ship! It arrived just yesterday evening. Sir Galacta Knight, it's… It's your uncle! A certain Azure Khano."

The knight gave a sharp gasp; he could not believe his ears. His uncle… Azure Khano? Kirby wondered… That name… Could it truly be him? Suddenly, Kirby's doubts came right back to him like a rising wave; he knew something was wrong. He knew a surprise would be waiting for them here, but of all things, he did not expect _this_. Meanwhile, Galacta Knight was ecstatic; he backed away, wings fluttering and beating excitedly as he held his face trying to take it in, exclaiming:

"Uncle Az is here! I can't believe it! The old bastard is alive! Hahaha! Amazing! Uhm, quick, Miss Fumu! You must bring me to him, I have to see him! If he's alive, then that means the others could be!"

The cappy woman, as if she expected this kind of reaction, agreed and gestured them all to follow her, saying:

"Of course, please come with me. He must be somewhere in town right about now. He seems like a very curious man, he's been asking all sorts of questions, especially about you, Kirby. Oh, perfect timing, here are the Waddle Dees I asked!"

Before they could leave, the group saw a dozen of small Waddle Dees running their way, the most adorable little army one could hope to see, and without any words needed, they picked up the luggage and the bags and carried them off, probably to be taken to their respective quarters at the castle.

"These little creatures sure are practical," Hailan commented in a low voice, making Kirby smirk.

"He's been asking about me?" Kirby asked toward Fumu as they left the landing site and toward the road to town.

"Yes," Fumu replied, taking the lead of the group. "He said he originally came here looking for the hero who defeated Nightmare, but he ran into some… complications on the way here."

"Complications?" Bun inquired. "What kind of complications?"

"He found a ship drifting in space not too far from Popstar, being attacked by Dark Matter," she replied with a heavier tone. "There was an unconscious girl inside, and he brought her here to be checked."

"A girl?" Galacta Knight asked, his tone suddenly serious. "Will she be alright?"

"According to Doctor Yabui, she got a concussion, but nothing too serious, so she's not in danger," she answered him. "She's resting at his clinic now, you'll be able to see her later if you want to ask her questions. I am sure she will be very confused, so please, nothing too harsh…"

Kirby frowned lightly. The more she talked, the more he realized how right he had been to worry about coming here. Something was going on, whether it was about this Kiridan man or this mysterious girl, and he had a feeling he would find out soon enough. And to think he had planned to go sleep on the beach to relax…

Kirby lost his focus on what the others were saying barely a minute after they set off; plunging deep into the acid sea of thoughts that plagued his mind, he simply walked along with them, staring ahead as the first houses came in sight. The dirt road became paved, and off into the streets of the growing Pupu Village they walked, in search of this mysterious man. On the way, they met many villagers that made them stop to greet them, many friends who were happy to see Kirby and Bun again after so long, but the smiles Kirby gave them were strained, and he felt awful about giving them these poor excuses of a greeting.

Galacta Knight was already ahead, looking down every street in search of him, and while they looked around, Kirby began to feel more and more nervous, to the point where Azure had to lower his head to him to try and keep him calm with his purrs. Kirby simply had no idea what to do; what would he say to him?

 _Oh yeah, I knew your son, he's my dad but not really and he abandoned me five years ago, also he tried to kill me. Anyway, how are you?_

He shook his head. That certainly wouldn't do. Taking a deep breath, he decided to wait and see; maybe seeing Galacta Knight's reaction to him would give him a hint of how to react. Maybe even just seeing the man's face would help making him more at ease. He was certainly curious to know what he looked like… Curious to have Hailan's opinion on this matter, he turned to look at him… only to see that he had vanished. Well, he certainly didn't lose any time in doing his job. A ninja had to live in the shadows after all. He was probably watching them from somewhere else, nearby…

"Hey, Kirb," he heard from the front, making him look back.

Bun stared at him; his face expressed nothing but concern.

"You okay?"

Kirby nodded his head.

"Yeah, of course I'm okay."

He was not. That small exchange made Fumu turn her head to them, but she didn't say a word, thankfully.

Finally, when the group turned a corner into one of the main streets of town – by now they were followed by many villagers, friends and children who were all eager about seeing them again – they saw him. A distinct, unusual form, unknown yet oh so familiar, standing in the middle of the street casually speaking with some cappies. For a short moment, Kirby stopped breathing; his heart echoed in his ears, his blood pumped wildly and he slightly choked. This… This man.

He wasn't looking at a stranger.

He was looking at _him_.

There was nothing else to it; there was no way in Nova's name that this person was someone _else_.

He was looking at Meta Knight, there was no way around it.

A… bit larger Meta Knight, but Meta Knight nonetheless.

He was pulled out of his shock when Galacta Knight slightly choked as well; the knight started laughing, and the words he called out were of an unknown language, one that flowed naturally on his tongue and reverberated across the street. In response, the man – as well as everyone else – turned back to look, and Kirby saw the first detail that made all the difference; his eyes were a bright yet soft green, one that popped quite nicely against his dark face.

The man smiled widely and extended his arms to the side, calling back to Galacta Knight in their mother tongue, making the knight open his wings and fly over. The moment they met, the two men joined in a tight and feathery hug, and the laughs of relief that echoed across the air managed to make Kirby smile. He couldn't understand a word they were saying to each other, but he knew just by the sound and the look of it that they were so happy to see one another after so long. From what he remembered Galacta Knight telling him, he had looked all over the galaxy for the rest of their clan, thinking that they might even have passed on… and now one of them just appeared right out of nowhere! To know some were still alive… Kirby couldn't imagine the relief.

The young Star Warrior reached behind in the hidden pocket of his cape; he pulled out the sigil Meta Knight had given him. If he showed this to any of their clan, he would be recognized as one of their own… Time to see if it was true.

"Hey, lad!"

He looked up from his thoughts ahead and saw Galacta Knight waving to him to come over; he was beaming, but the man next to him looked… almost shocked. He gulped down his worry, clenched the sigil in his glove, and walked forward; Azure followed right behind him, his head low, cautious. When the young one was close enough, Galacta Knight put his hand on his shoulder and pulled him closer, saying as he turned to his uncle:

"Uncle Az, this young hunter here is Kirby of the Stars, also known as Nightmare's Destroyer. We just call him Kirby."

He turned to Kirby and extended a hand toward the man.

"Kirby, this is my uncle Azure," he introduced, but he stopped when he heard a low growl from the giant wolf standing behind Kirby. "But we call him Az."

Kirby was shaking, but he smiled nonetheless, extending a hand to shake his; the elder - and much taller than anticipated - Kiridan smiled in wonder as he greeted him with both hands, speaking with a rich accent that forced Kirby to listen carefully.

"Aah, Kirby of the Stars! Oy've heard so much about ye since Oy arrived here, I didn't expect ye to be so young! So ye were my son's student, _reimeh_?"

The Star Warrior opened his mouth, but he stuttered a bit before finding his words. He was looking at his face, at the nasty-looking scars that barred the side of his visage, but yet somehow didn't take away the kindness and wonder that shone in his oh so familiar leafy green eyes. In those eyes, he saw so many things he didn't understand…

"Y-yes sir, I was," he responded with a shy smirk, surprised at his firm yet warm handshake. "U-uh… He, uh, told me a little about you, actually. Well, I mean, he told me your name at least…"

Az chuckled lightly, nodding his head as if he knew what he was talking about.

"Did he now?" he asked in an amused tone, crossing his arms. "Oy'm actually surprised he did! He wasn't evar the type to talk about the clan, very reserved. Oy'm glad to know Galacta 'ere filled you in at least."

"Y-yeah," Kirby stuttered before raising his hand to gesture toward Azure. "A-actually, I named this big guy here after you without even knowing it."

Uncle Az looked up at the large wolf, who lowered his head toward him even closer, taking the time and space to sniff him. Kirby deduced that he liked his smell, for he saw his tail wag and raise, even a little bit.

"A second Azure!" the Kiridan smiled, raising his hand so the Wolfwrath could sniff and lick it. "It's nice to meet ye, wolf."

The Wolfwrath backed away a couple steps, raising his head high above everyone else. He spoke as he usually did, voice monotone and controlled.

" _You smell like Master. I like you."_

And he sat down on the ground, having spoken all that he had to say on the matter. As Uncle Az marvelled at how well-trained the wolf was, Kirby fumbled with the sigil still in his palm and looked at it, wondering how he could bring it up. Galacta Knight apparently saw way ahead of him, for he said:

"Kirby is part of the clan, you know."

Az stared back at him with a surprised gaze before turning over to Kirby, his smile returning.

"Is it true?" he asked.

Kirby felt his face warm up considerably and, finding that no words would come out of his mouth, he nodded his head as answer, before extending his hand and handing him the sigil of the Khano clan. Az took it to examine it closer, and Kirby felt his heart beat faster and faster as each second passed by. When Az raised his head back to him, the look he briefly gave him was odd; but it all changed, and the smile grew into the brightest one he had seen yet. The man extended his arms and pulled the young and much smaller hunter in a surprise hug, saying:

" _Miaheres!_ Welcome to the family, boy!"

And as Galacta Knight bursted out laughing at Kirby's most confused face, the lad's heart dropped suddenly with the realization; he had been accepted. He was a Khano now.

Kirby Khano. Huh. It didn't sound too bad.

* * *

What a day, Kirby thought.

The young man sighed deeply and laid his head back on the warm sand, stretching his arms up above his head. Overhead, the blue sky didn't have a single cloud, and the sun was already heading down toward the horizon, although it was still early in the day. In the cooling shade of a parasol, Kirby was attempting to relax. Attempt was the right word. He had first wanted to sit down with Uncle Az – as he wanted to be called – but everyone insisted that he go rest as he said he would do, and now Kirby had no choice but to lay here, trying to empty his mind and utterly failing. It was just frustrating at this point.

He had met with the man, he had seen what was wrong, but why was he still on edge? Was it because of that girl Uncle Az had found? She was resting at the clinic, but Doctor Yabui refused to have anyone meet with her until she felt somewhat better, and Kirby wasn't in the mood to argue. He would have to wait to meet with her and see who she was…

Now Kirby was alone, and for once, it felt good… until he heard this oh so familiar and dreaded voice coming from afar.

"Would you look at that! He finally shows up!"

He didn't even need to move; he just opened an eye and looked to the side, only to see a giant stand next to him, a smug smirk lining that wide beak.

"Hey there, Triple D," Kirby greeted, simply waving a hand with no energy. "Didn't expect you to come find me."

The large penguin snorted and waved his arm, with a strange air about him that made Kirby wonder… Dedede sure looked happy to see him.

"Well, when you finally show your face up here after, what, three years, I expected you to barge in my castle, but no!" the large king exclaimed, trying to look and sound outraged or insulted but ultimately failing to look like either. "So many random people coming here lately, and you're out here just takin' in the sun! What's up with that, pinkie?"

"Soooo, is that why you're here?" Kirby asked, finding amusement in Dedede's exaggerated reaction. "I'm trying to get a tan here you know. Or did you miss me, perchance?"

"Me? Missin' you?" Dedede repeated, putting his large hands on his hips as if needlessly insulted. "Not a chance! … Although it did get boring around here without you around, that I'll admit."

"So you did miss me."

"Don't change my words, squirt!"

Kirby smirked. After the events that took place five years ago when the Dark Matter possessed both of them, the young Star Warrior had been thoroughly unsure of his relation with the king. It was clear that the poisoned wine had been a trap set by the Dark Matter, for Dedede had no recollection of ever doing something like this, but even though, Kirby couldn't get that image out of his mind. It was all because of that cup of wine… To think such a simple thing could ruin so much…

Admittedly, it felt somewhat nice to hear that large penguin's booming voice again. He didn't think he'd miss it. Dedede either, apparently. He heard a somewhat soft _thump_ right next to him, and he raised his eyes up at the king again, only to see he had sat down in the sand. For a moment, neither of them said anything; it felt somewhat awkward to be silent with the king, but Kirby didn't complain.

"Somethin' the matter, pinkie?" King Dedede finally asked. "You look way off."

The young Star Warrior heaved a sigh, but shook his head in response.

"I'm fine, really, don't worry about it. So, what do you think of Uncle Az?"

Dedede laughed.

"This guy is awesome!" was his surprising reply, which made Kirby look up at him again. "It's hard to believe he's even related to Meta Knight. Well, I mean, when you forget that they look like twins…"

Kirby chuckled; he had to admit, he was right, the difference between the two of them was striking. He wondered, did Meta Knight ever act this lively and talkative when he was young? Now he couldn't help but imagine… but he shook those thoughts and that name away from his mind, and changed the subject – his now new specialty.

"And what about that girl at Doctor Yabui's clinic? Did you meet her?"

"Tried to go in, Yabui kicked me out," Dedede grumbled. "I'm the king, I deserve more respect than that! I heard she was doing better though."

"Really?" Kirby replied, raising his body up to sit in the sand. "Maybe I could go see her…"

"Thought you were gettin' a tan," Dedede replied with a sly grin. "You really need one, ya look awful."

"Ugh, stop telling me, all of you!" the young man sighed, exasperated. "I've got my whole vacation to get a tan, it can wait!"

With a grunt, Kirby stood up from the sand and walked out into the sun before stretching his arms up with a long yawn. Behind him, King Dedede observed him for a moment… slowly pinching his eyes suspiciously.

"Hey squirt, what's up with your back?"

Kirby turned around, raising his eyebrows in confusion.

"Huh? What do you mean?" he asked, trying to reach his arms in his back but ultimately failing.

"I don't know, stop moving and I might see somethin'!" Dedede grumbled as he stood and walked over to him to hold him in place.

Kirby felt him run his thumb quickly over a certain spot in his back – a surprisingly sensitive spot – and the king said:

"You got a weird, squishy bump right there. Ugh, it's disgusting, why am I touching that."

Once again, when the king had backed away, Kirby tried to reach back to touch it, but he stopped before he embarrassed himself even more and dismissed it by saying:

"It's probably nothing, I must have bumped myself somewhere. I'm gonna go see Yabui, you coming?"

"Nah, I got stuff to do," Dedede answered as he put his hands on his hips. "Kingly stuff, the usual. There's a banquet tonight, you're gonna be there whether you want a tan or not, got it squirt?"

He pointed a fat finger in the young Star Warrior's face as he spoke those words, and it made him smirk in amusement before pushing it away to the side, replying:

"Sure, sure, I never miss food, you know that! See ya later, Triple D."

They briefly waved at each other as they both left their own way, and as he was walking back toward the road to town, Kirby reached an arm back as far as he could. He finally found a good angle to reach farther back… and he felt the bump. It started to itch, but only briefly. He tried to forget about it on his way to town.

* * *

The road went from sand to grass, from grass to dirt, and dirt to pavement, but with each of his steps, he was delving deeper and deeper into the raging sea of his thoughts. Each of those steps were so light, it felt like he would just float away if he wasn't careful. It happened so suddenly, he didn't even realize it at first.

It took only one step for him to dive head first into the bright Universe that resided inside him.

He was no longer on the road to Pupu Village, but in the oddly comforting realm of his memories, of his own inner world.

Here, strange voices began to echo, as if a part of him that he had forgotten, that he hadn't seen before…

" _T-they have to be here! They gotta be!"_

Kirby tried to speak, words that deposited on his tongue as if dust after a storm…

" _They're not…"_

" _Shut up! Shut up and help me search!"_

He saw… a village. Was it Pupu Village? Was it his home? It was hard to tell… But it felt like home. The sky was dark, it was like there wasn't any at all, and the air was so heavy; he could hear the rain, from far away… Its drops were cold stings on his skin.

He turned his head around… and saw Galacta Knight. He was standing there, looking away and out of breath, like he had ran all around with no goal in sight. Kirby… knew what he had been looking for. But he hadn't found a single trace of them… Slowly, Galacta Knight turned toward him, raising his mask on top of his head, revealing a face so distraught, so afraid…

" _They're… they're gone… Kirby, they're gone…"_

" _The vessel isn't there. They must have taken it to escape,"_ Kirby told him.

" _But what if not? What if they didn't make it? W-wh… oh… my sisters… Mum… Dad… where are they, Kirby…"_

The knight held his head in his hands, closing eyes that refused to cry tears of panic that were still flowing down his cheeks, and Kirby felt his own fear tug at his heart. He held a hand forward, about to try and comfort his cousin-

"Master Kirby!"

Suddenly, he was pulled back, and everything faded as if a mirage. He was brutally sent back into reality, and he found himself crouched on one knee, ready to fall over on the ground. He felt like vomiting right then and there, but he held it back, feeling like he was standing on a spinning disk. A pair of hands was holding him up, and when he raised a loopy head, that nasty feeling of vomiting came right back, and he had to close his eyes for a good moment, trying to push it back. Hailan was there holding him, and the ninja exhaled a breath of relief; a sigh that hid a deep layer of worry.

"Are you alright, my Lord?" he asked the sick Star Warrior, who took a moment to hold his head.

He waited for the spinning to stop and raised his head again. He was so confused…

"W… What?" he mumbled. "I don't… know…"

He found his voice to be very rough all of a sudden, like something was scraping the back of his throat…

"It was just like in your quarters, my Lord," Hailan said in a kind yet heavy voice. "Except you started screaming, as though you were in pain…"

Kirby blinked away the black dots lining his vision, taking deep and slow breaths to calm himself. He saw Hailan extend a small flask to him, and knowing that it contained water, he gladly took it. As he was drinking, he took a quick look at their surroundings; they weren't even at the village yet, and luckily so, for there was no one around that could have heard him scream… at least he hoped. This was getting stranger by the second… First that odd vision in his room, given by the blue Warp Star, but now this, just triggered by… walking? Would it get worse, as time passed by? What was the matter with him to begin with?

"Perhaps I should report to Sir Dragato, Master Kirby," Hailan said, making him turn back to him. "I don't like where this is going."

He quickly shook his head, saying:

"N-no, it's fine, I'm okay! There's no need to report to him, he'll just get worried… I just need to rest a bit, I think I'm just tired."

Even with the mask on concealing his facial expressions, the way Hailan's antennas moved backward clearly showed his disagreement.

"With all due respect, my Lord," he said, "this is for your well-being. There is no telling what darkness may be taking hold of you as we speak."

And he sighed…

"But, I have no control over your command. If you do not wish for me to report to Sir Dragato, I shall then refrain from speaking. But I shall have to keep an extra close eye on you, my young Lord. This is for your own safety."

Kirby gave him back the small flask, nodding his head as silent thanks. In the past five years, Sir Dragato had done everything to take care of him, and Kirby was so grateful, now he didn't want to worry the kind old man more than was necessary. Whatever evil ailed him, he did not want to speak of it… for fear of hurting others. He would get to the bottom of this by himself. No need to worry Sir Dragato, or anyone else for that matter.

Hailan extended his hand to him and Kirby gladly took it, raising himself back on his feet. He heaved a deep breath and nodded his head again, telling his guardian:

"I'll be fine. Just… don't go too far."

"I am always watching, Master Kirby," Hailan respectfully bowed forward, before suddenly leaping away from the ground and up toward the nearest tree.

As soon as he touched the branch, he vanished, through some ninja trick that never failed to amaze the young warrior. Kirby sighed and rubbed his large glove on his face, still feeling a little bit loopy. As he did so, his hand touched his left cheek, and he left it there, covering a nasty scar that never left… He briefly closed his eyes. In moments like these, Kirby wished he would come back…


	14. The Fairy Who Dreamt Bad Dreams

**Fallen Stars: A New Age**

 **Act 2 - Chapter Three: The Fairy Who Dreamt Bad Dreams**

* * *

Later that day, somewhere in the middle of town, down a quiet street, a young girl was awakening inside Doctor Yabui's clinic. At first, she was terribly confused. As she attempted to raise herself from the bed, she slowly blinked her droopy eyes at her surroundings, trying to make sense of where she was. The room she was in was small and contained few furniture; mainly what appeared to be medical equipment. The lights were off, but the sunlight was coming through an open window, through which a fresh breeze was seeping into the room, bringing with it a nice smell of salt. Her mind was so groggy, she could barely understand it all. Why was she in this strange place? What had happened for her to be here?

Confused, her eyes went down on her body and she observed herself, making sure that she was still, actually, _herself_. Her body felt numb, especially her legs, but she felt no pain other than the drums resonating from the back of her head, drums that relentlessly echoed down into her tired eyes, making her groan in annoyance. She wore some kind of gown, white and hospital-like, and with a quick look around, she noticed her red dress, neatly folded on a table near the back wall of the room. She raised her hand to her head, as if trying to hold the pain inside, and found a bandage rolled all around, covering her hair. What… happened to her? She couldn't recall…

She could recall her leaving her home. Why did she leave her home again? Was it… because her aunt asked her to do something? Or was it for other, untold reasons? Why, oh why was she here…

With a light groan, she pushed the covers off of her and moved her legs over the bed, moving them around so she could feel them again. Straightening her back a bit, she looked back to her wings – long and thin fairy wings, similar in shape and delicateness as a dragonfly's – as she spread them out; they didn't look too damaged… One of them did hurt at the tip, however, and it made her groan. That was just great… What could have happened-

She gasped suddenly when it hit her.

Why, yes! Of course! She was here for something very important!

Was she even at the right place? Where was this? How did she get here?

Suddenly bursting with energy, the young Fairy slid down from the bed and stood up, however she had to stop herself when her head began to spin. Standing up so fast wasn't the best idea for now. Noted. She raised her head when she heard the door open and a voice speak to her, saying in the Gamble common tongue:

"I see you're awake, miss! You really shouldn't walk around so soon."

What… was this strange creature…? Was it native to this planet? He – she assumed it was a he, by the tone of voice it had – was an oddly shaped alien, with a creamy yellow shade of skin, and was wearing what looked like a doctor's outfit, complete with a stethoscope loose around his neck and glasses in the middle of his face. She quickly shook her head when she realized that she was staring at him with her mouth open, and she sat down on the bed with a sigh, rubbing her eyes as she asked with a dry voice:

"Where am I…?"

"In Dreamland," was the alien's reply as he walked up to her.

He took a moment to adjust her bandages around her head, and somehow, that careful gesture made her feel just a tiny bit better about her situation. At least she knew that she was in good hands… for now. But wait, Dreamland… that sounded oddly familiar…

"A Kiridan found you floating in space in a broken ship," the doctor continued, "and he brought you here. He's still in town, so you'll be able to thank him in person. I'm Doctor Yabui, by the way. You're in my clinic. What is your name, miss?"

She had to take a moment to assimilate all this information. She had to be saved… by a Kiridan? What could have… Oh! The Dark Matter! Right, she was attacked! Judging by what she felt in her head, she must have taken a hit somehow… Damn those Dark Matter, always there at the wrong time…

"Ribbon," she answered the doctor after clearing her throat. "My name is Ribbon… E-excuse me, but… this Dreamland wouldn't happen to be… on planet Popstar?"

"Why, yes it is!" Doctor Yabui answered, looking pleased that his guest could guess that much. "Now tell me Ribbon, are you feeling nauseated in any way? Loopy?"

"Uhm," she stuttered a bit before replying. "Not nauseated, but loopy, yes, a little bit… Is it bad, doctor?"

He scribbled some words on his notepad, walking off toward a cabinet as he answered:

"Not at all, you suffered from a light concussion. It could have been much worse. I'm not taking any chances though, you'll have to take this."

He came back with a rather large pill for her to take, and she reluctantly swallowed it along with some water he gave her.

"I would suggest resting here a bit longer until the pain leaves," he said, "you'll be able to go outside then. Your clothes are right there, Madam Hana cleaned them for you. Lady Fumu said she would prepare a room for you at the castle, so I guess you can count yourself as a castle guest. Lucky you!"

All of these names made no sense to her, but she nodded her head all the same, her throat feeling better now that she had taken some water. Doctor Yabui then left the room, and when he closed the door, Ribbon sat there a moment longer, in silence. She lightly chuckled at her own situation and how she got to this point.

When she came back home, she would have to avoid mentioning this to her aunt… otherwise she could say goodbye to her starship license! And she had worked so hard to get it!

* * *

Before arriving in town, Kirby took a quick break to gather his own thoughts. He didn't want a repeat of what had happened just before. At least he felt safe knowing Hailan wasn't far… but still, he would rather not have to explain anything to the others should it happen in front of them. Especially Fumu… He had done everything to not worry her further when he joined the Agency, and thus hadn't told her that he had been seeing a therapist for the past five years. He had even asked of Bun and the others to never tell her, just to be sure. Just when the nightmares had stopped, why was he now plagued by these visions…? He had to remember to note them down, too, just as he would with a dream journal.

There was no reason to tell Fumu. No reason at all.

He could get through this on his own.

With a deep breath, Kirby continued on through town, trying to look and act as normal as possible. The more years that passed, the better he was getting at faking smiles, and he wasn't sure it was a good thing. He saluted many people on the way, had to stop here and there to talk to some old friends who were all so happy to see him, and on he went, promising to many of them that he would talk to them during the banquet later on. He still found it strange that a banquet was being held; him coming back wasn't that special… was it? It had indeed been a while, and from what he had seen, they still considered him their hero, but… He felt bad taking profit from a banquet when he didn't even want to come here in the first place. He figured it was better to not let anyone know how he felt about coming here… He wouldn't hear the end of it!

Kirby went straight through town and toward the more quiet streets, where he walked toward the doctor's place, but as he arrived, he was greeted by a sight he did not expect. He was only a few feet away from the clinic when the door opened; and out came the young girl said to have been in care.

She was completely different from what he had imagined! She was humanoid in shape and bore a pair of beautiful, almost invisible wings, long and elegant on her back. Her skin was fair, as pale and perfect as porcelain, and her light pink hair was shoulder-length, topped by an adorable red ribbon. Her crimson dress flowed around her legs as it picked up the breeze, and as he observed her from head to toe, Kirby didn't realize that he was blatantly staring, until he raised his head to look at her face and met with her eyes. Those eyes… were mystical. A deep blue, with as many hues as he could imagine, like he was underwater and looking up at the surface, he felt like he would drown in those deep eyes if he stared too long.

And for a moment, he was tempted in doing so…

Kirby shook his head, breaking the eye contact and putting his mind back in place. The young Fairy was only looking at him, looking utterly confused and lost. She was blinking her eyes like the light of the sun was hurting her, and Kirby only now noticed the bandages running around her forehead and wrapping under her bangs… The hit she had taken must have been pretty bad indeed… Doctor Yabui appeared in the doorway, making her turn back, and he told her:

"Now, if your head hurts again or if you're feeling sick, feel free to come back. And be careful with that wing of yours, I'm no expert, but I'd be careful not to strain it too much."

She then smiled and nodded her head before respectfully bowing down, almost taking the cappy by surprise.

"Thank you, doctor," she spoke. "I will. I am grateful for your help."

Her words resounded in Kirby's ears… and they made him smile a real smile, one he couldn't explain, one that just appeared as if out of nowhere. When the doctor retreated back in his clinic, the Fairy turned back to him and, keeping that beautiful smile on her rounded face, she walked toward him, linking her arms in her back. Even her walk had a light, mystical feel to it! Were all Fairies like that? He had never met one before… He had heard that they preferred to stay among each other, on their home world of Ripple Star. This star must be so beautiful…

She stopped in front of him, and for a moment, none of them said anything; instead of speaking, she bent a bit forward, tilting her head as if trying to see him from a different angle, making Kirby feel horribly out of place. Did he have something on his face? Hopefully she wouldn't comment on how pale he was… He should have stayed a bit longer in the sun, he would look more alive…

"Have… Have we met before?" she asked suddenly, making him raise his eyebrows in surprise.

"Uh," Kirby searched his mind, trying to see where he would have seen her, but he ended up lightly shaking his head, saying, "I… I don't think so, miss. Maybe you heard about me, but I don't think we met before now. W-what's your name, miss?"

He bit his lip after that light stutter, hoping that she hadn't noticed, and felt relieved when she straightened up and smiled, bringing a small hand up to her chest.

"Oh, right, forgive me! My name is Ribbon, of Ripple Star. Now that you mention it… You're a Kiridan. You… wouldn't happen to be Kirby of the Stars, by any chance?"

Kirby's smile came right back and he gingerly nodded his head, giving her a solid and proud salute that Sir Dragato would be proud of as he answered:

"Yep miss, I am! It's a pleasure to meet you, miss Ribbo-"

He was nearly interrupted when he heard a small squeal of joy come out of her, making him look back as she dove forward and grabbed his hand to shake it. From such a short distance from her face, he could tell she was both tired and eager, but her eyes expressed a deep relief, as if she had been searching for him for a long time.

"I am so glad I found you!" she said, before realizing she was holding his hand and letting go to straighten up, clearing her throat. "Sorry about that. I am just so happy I didn't make this trip for nothing…"

"Were you looking to find me?" he asked her, to which she nodded.

"Yes, I was, but… Well, I had a favour to ask of you, but the doctor told me you were here on vacation, and I certainly don't want to ruin that…"

"Oh, it's fine!" Kirby smiled widely, waving his hand nonchalantly. "I didn't want to sit around doing nothing anyway, so I'm happy to help, miss Ribbon! You must be hungry. How about you tell me about all of that while we go eat at Kawasaki's?"

Just as she was about to answer that she was fine, both Ribbon and Kirby heard a grumble echo between them, and that perfectly pale face of hers warmed up to a nice strawberry shade that went along well with her dress. She laughed, rubbing the back of her head as she replied shyly:

"I suppose I _am_ hungry. Is that Kawasaki's some kind of restaurant?"

"It's _the_ restaurant!" he answered with a jolly chuckle. "Come this way, I'll show you around."

Kirby gestured her to follow him and guided her back the way he came, and she followed right by his side. They talked lightly on the way to the plaza, Kirby telling her a bit more about Dreamland and what she should expect to see around town. He could tell she was a bit drowsy, so he kept the information light and made sure his words were nice and clear. Somehow, for some reason he couldn't quite explain, he felt… much lighter, as he was talking to her. There was just something around her that made him feel much more… at ease.

After a short round of the nearby streets and after meeting a few villagers on the way, Kirby and Ribbon arrived at their destination, however, they came upon quite the surprise when they saw the small crowd chatting eagerly inside the restaurant. Galacta Knight and Az were doing most of the chatting, while Fumu, Bun and Azure were sitting around, listening intently to whatever stories the elder Kiridan had to say. When the duo came in, it was Azure who spotted them first; the second he saw Kirby, he raised himself up from the ground and trotted over to them, immediately going up in Ribbon's face to smell it. The poor Fairy, who had never seen such a huge and terrifying beast before, took on a horrified expression and backed away, forcing Kirby to go push on Azure's muzzle, saying:

"Azure, stop that! I told you a million times, that's not how you should introduce yourself!"

As if feeling bad for scaring her, Azure let out a long whine and plumped back on the ground, eyes fixated on the fairy, who now looked more surprised than anything. Kirby petted the wolf on the head, saying to her:

"Don't worry, he may look grumpy but he doesn't bite. Ribbon, this is Azure, my friend!"

"H-hello Azure…," Ribbon said, uncertain, before extending her hand to him.

Azure lightly smelled it… and his tail started to wag, with such intensity that it continuously thumped on the floor. Kirby smiled at her.

"He likes you!"

Just as he spoke, Azure stood up, smelled her face for a brief second, then turned around and went back to his previous place by the table, without a single word. The others gestured them to come over, and they happily joined them at their table, pulling chairs for themselves. Fumu and Bun both introduced themselves and Ribbon introduced herself back with a smile, but when Galacta Knight, who was probably the biggest Kiridan she had ever seen in her life, - and probably one of the only ones besides Kirby - warmly shook her hand with both of his as he always did, she took on a strange look… She gave Az the same look when he shook her hand, but lightened up immediately when Kirby said:

"Az is the one who found you floating in space. He brought you back here as soon as he did."

"Really?" she inquired, looking back at the elder Kiridan, who nodded his head with a humble look. "Thank you, sir! I don't know what I would have done without your help…"

"Oh please, it's only natural," he replied with a kind smile. "Oy wouldn't have left an innocent girl in danger like that. I'm just relieved yer alright, miss Ribbon."

She only smiled at him, with nothing more to add, and then Kawasaki himself arrived, happy to have a new customer. While they were waiting for their orders to arrive, Bun elbowed Kirby to get his attention and gestured toward Az sitting across from them, saying:

"Oh hey, this might interest you, Kirby! Az said that he got some news from you-know-who!"

Kirby's face suddenly lit up, and he looked back at Uncle Az, who appeared a little bit confused as to who they were talking about. Galacta Knight whispered something in his ear, and the elder man quickly understood, reverting back to a warm smile as he happily nodded.

"It's true," he said. "Actually, it was me son who made me come 'ere. As Oy was travelling back to Gamble Galaxy, I received a message from my wife, Kia, who told me that he had come to our colony. Oy couldn't believe it!"

Kirby's eyes opened wide, and his mind began spiralling in all directions; a sign! A sign of Meta Knight! He gulped down his saliva before he choked on it and quickly asked, straightening himself up:

"He did?! W-what did he say? He told you to come here?"

Smiling at his enthusiasm, Az nodded at each of his questions and said in a calm manner:

"Yes, me wife relayed a message from 'im. He wanted me te come 'ere and meet with ye. So far, Oy can understand why."

"When was that?" Kirby quickly asked.

"Oy received the message a week ago."

Kirby couldn't believe his ears. Five years, and finally he had a clue! He stuttered a bit before his next question finally left his mouth:

"W-where is that colony? Maybe he's still nearby!"

But, to that question, Az's smile reduced to half its length, and he answered in a hushed tone:

"For our own safety, Oy can't tell without bringing ye there meself. But, I will say that it's not far from this star; it _is_ , in fact, in Gamble Galaxy. But Oy wouldn't get yer hopes up; my wife told me he left as soon as he arrived, so only the stars know where he could be by now."

A disheartened Kirby sat back against his chair. Well, that was suddenly very disappointing. Still, a clue was a clue, and most of all… it meant that he was, in fact, still alive. He gave Az half a smile, finding comfort in that thought alone. Kawasaki suddenly arrived with their plates, breaking the silence that had settled on the table as he exclaimed:

"Here are your meals! Sorry for the wait!"

A bit later, while Ribbon was digging through her plate like she hadn't eaten in months amongst some light chatter at the table, Kirby looked up from his empty plate toward her, and he asked:

"So, Ribbon, what's that favour you were talking about earlier?"

She raised her eyes, and her face seemingly turned a brighter shade of strawberry when she felt everyone else's gazes fixated on her, and she swallowed down her food before clearing her throat, grabbing her napkin to clean her lips.

"Yes, uhm, I suppose I do owe an explanation…," she started, her eyes looking away and staring at anything but anyone. "You see, I… ugh, how do I explain this…"

"Just take yer time, lass," Az kindly told her with a warm smile. "Ye can relax. Ain't anyone here's yer enemy."

That sentence made her raise her head suddenly, as if awakening something in her, and she finally turned to look at them, unsure at first, but eventually, she smirked lightly, and nodded her head. Kirby stared at Az for a brief moment, confused by his odd choice of words, but he turned again to Ribbon to listen, keeping this on the edge of his mind.

"Alright," she said softly, looking up at the young Star Warrior. "I know it sounds weird, but… I had a dream. A while back. Well, more like a nightmare, really… It was horrible… There was darkness everywhere, eating away at everyone and everything. Dark clouds were billowing above our heads, the wind was sharp, and so, so cold… it felt… too real."

Kirby frowned. This dream sounded awfully familiar to his own nightmarish visions…

"But," she continued, "there was suddenly a ray of light, and from that light, I saw _you_. You were, uhm, cleansing the world of darkness, for a lack of better words. You freed the whole world of darkness, and there was only light, with you in it. I woke up very, very confused, but… I knew that it was a vision! A vision of things to come!"

Kirby found his frown turning into a somewhat unconvinced grin; he had never been into 'visions of the future'. However strange dreams could get, they couldn't tell the future. It was impossible to predict the future. Period. But he let her talk all the same, because her eyes… seemed honest. And that honesty was what turned that weird grin into a slightly more interested gaze. Why would she dream of him…? That was what interested him the most.

"The weird thing is," she said, "I didn't even know you before that dream. I had to do some secret research to find your name and your face. Anyway, the reason I'm here…"

She sighed. Obviously, she felt weird asking something out of him because of a dream, and Kirby could tell she was awkward. He didn't really know what he thought about that whole story, either. Dreaming of the future…

"I came here to ask if you would come with me to Ripple Star," she finally spoke, making him raise his eyebrows in surprise. "I know I'm asking a lot, but I just know that this dream was telling me that something horrible would happen, and you needed to be there! That's why I left home, to come and find you! I didn't even tell my aunt the truth when I left…"

Kirby blinked a few times, unsure of what to say. However, before he could even stutter any kind of response, Galacta Knight put down his chopsticks on his plate, making enough noise to bring attention over to him as he turned to the fairy and said:

"Now hold on there, lass! You want to bring little Kirby over to your star? Is this some kind of Fairy plan to get him killed or what?"

Ribbon's face suddenly expressed pure horror, her eyes widening and her hair rising on her head, and she quickly shook her head, raising her hands as if to show her innocence as she stuttered:

"N-no! That's not what I said!"

"We all know what happens to all the Kiridans who go to Ripple Star, you're not fooling anyone," Galacta continued in the same semi-aggressive tone.

That low growl made Az himself turn to him and tell him to tone it down, to which Galacta shrugged and said:

"It's true! You know it Uncle, if Kirby goes there, he's done for."

"Hey hey, wait a minute!" Kirby had to raise his voice to be heard. "Why would I be dead if I went there? What's up with Ripple Star?"

Galacta Knight sat back in his chair, waving his hand around as he answered smugly:

"It's a long story, lad, one that I'm sure miss Ribbon would be happy to tell you."

"I'm not trying to get him killed, I swear!" the young fairy replied, looking distraught at the accusations. "There's no plan involved or anything like that! I swear!"

Clearly, Ribbon was very uncomfortable on her chair, and her face was red around the eyes, as if she was about to cry. That look made Kirby want to slap Galacta Knight on the head, and he would have had he not been sitting on the opposite side of the table. With a deep sigh, Ribbon looked at Kirby, and swallowed down any fear that was blocking her throat.

"Our… species don't actually, uhm… really get along that well," she carefully tried to explain, her hands fumbling and hiding inside her long sleeves. "We're, uhm… long time enemies, actually. I'm not… really sure why, exactly. Our history books say all kinds of weird, opposing things about that… But yeah. Kiridans are not… really welcome on Ripple Star, but if you're with me you'll be fine! I promise, nothing would happen to you!"

Kirby frowned. Enemies…? Why would the Kiridans and Fairies be enemies? What could cause two species to actually hate each other? Now he understood what Az had said earlier… _You can relax_. She needed reassurance that no one here was her enemy, because she was surrounded by three Kiridans, who were _supposed_ to be her enemies. Her uncertainty made sense now, but… it still didn't fully explain why that fear had to exist in the first place.

"Well then," Kirby said with a deep sigh, "that's a bummer. I was wondering what Ripple Star looked like…"

"It's best if you don't go there, lad," Galacta Knight told him with a serious tone. "You don't want to know what I heard about what they did to Kiridans on that planet."

"Now hold on, Sir Galacta Knight," Fumu interjected, making them look over to her as she looked at him with a disapproving stare. " _Kirby_ is the Star Warrior here, so _he's_ the one who decides what he'll do. As far as I can tell with Ribbon here, it's clear that not all Fairies are as evil as you make it sound, so who's to say what would happen if Kirby went there with her. She seems very honest, and I believe her when she says that."

From the corner of his eye, Kirby saw Ribbon smile at Fumu, as if glad that someone here saw that she meant no harm.

"It's for his own safety, Miss Fumu!" Galacta Knight responded. "I don't trust them one bit, those Fairies. Except you, Miss Ribbon, you seem fine, it's the others I mean. Right Az? Please tell me you agree with me on this one."

Uncle Az appeared thoughtful for a moment; it was clear he knew more about it all than anyone else really did, but he kept quiet and said softly, with an accent suddenly so rough on the ears they barely heard it all:

"Guess… mmh, but ne, it depends. Miss Ribbon's trustworthy in me eyes, Oy don't see any malice in her actions. Miss Fumu's right, it's all on Kirby, son."

The concerned Star Warrior heaved a deep sigh, bringing the gazes of everyone back on him. Ribbon was looking right into his eyes, as if praying for a positive answer… but he knew he would have to deceive her on this front.

"Look," he spoke toward her carefully, "it's not just about Ripple Star and its treatment of Kiridans. I'm sure you mean well, you're obviously worried for your star, but… I really don't buy it. Dreams can't foretell the future, nothing can. Maybe you should…" Another sigh. "Look, there's not much I can do. Me defeating Nightmare was just a lucky shot. I really don't believe I'm some sort of… light… being, thing, whatever it is you all think I am. I did what I did because I was thrown into it and I had to find a way to survive. That's all I ever do, really… Sorry."

With that final word and a heart beating faster than drums, Kirby stood up from his seat under the surprised gazes of everyone around the table, and promptly left the restaurant, having nothing more to say. Ribbon stared at him as he left, completely baffled and looking like she could cry any second… but she didn't. As Azure jumped to his feet and ran after his young master, Uncle Az put a reassuring hand on her shoulder, making her turn to him. He smiled a kind and warm smile, one that somehow calmed the storm raging in her heart.

"Don't worry about it, lass," he said. "Oy can tell some part of 'im believes ye. He'll change his mind after some time to think. Wait until tomorrow, after the banquet. We'll see his thoughts then."

Ribbon hesitated, but she nodded her head, mumbling a response. She could only hope that he would… In her eyes, she had been telling the ultimate truth. No one else but Kirby could help her star… for whatever it was that was coming for it. She could only nod her head and pray at this point…

* * *

Kirby was, to say the least, quite crossed for the rest of the day. Whether it was against himself or anything hiding deeper inside him, he wasn't sure, but one thing he knew, was that he did not want to hear about Ripple Star again. He spent the whole day by himself, back on the beach, far from anyone or anything other than his own thoughts… except for Azure. The large wolf had followed him out of the restaurant and wouldn't leave him be, as was always the case with him. Now, Kirby was lazily throwing a ball at his large friend, mindlessly throwing it back as soon as the wolf came back running with it covered in burning slobber, as he stared at the sky, lost in his thoughts.

There was no way… to tell the future. No dreams and no nightmares, no matter how horrible or 'real' it felt, could show the future. At least, not with exactitude… Why should he worry about the dreams of another when he had his own problems hunting him down at every hour of the day? Why would he care-

Because that's what he did.

He cared.

He worried for Ribbon and her star, he wouldn't deny that, and he wanted to help.

But to risk his life on a hostile star because of a dream a girl had one night? He wasn't so sure about that one, and no matter which way he twisted it, it still scared him to no end. The thought that there were still and always people out there who wouldn't hesitate to kill him on the spot without even knowing him first… It made him shiver.

Why couldn't he just… be in peace…?

Why wasn't _he_ here to protect him, like before…?

Part of him almost expected to see him, walking along the beach to greet him, like he always did…

He always did like to walk along the beach…

But, another, bigger part of him knew that it wouldn't happen. He was gone, and for all he knew, he would probably not come back. At least, not now…

Where… was he…? The Universe was so vast, everything was so, so far away… He felt like a string being pulled and stretched further away, and soon, frighteningly soon, the string would break… and so would he.

Suddenly, Kirby heard a most familiar sound; the sharp yet melodious string of a shamisen. The notes followed one another in the start of a beautiful and toe-tapping melody, and it made Kirby smile when a voice accompanied it in the most fitting way. The voice sang in a tongue unknown to him, and hearing it in such a time appeased his heavy heart, for it was telling one of his favourite stories.

The story was of a lonely warrior who travelled across the land to free the spirit of an angered dragon; after a long, arduous journey across a harsh land of snow and ice, the warrior climbed a steep mountain, and found a lonely dragon atop it's freezing peak, whose spirit was lost to a land of dark dreams. With his might and his pure heart, the warrior fought valiantly against the guardian, until he managed to free it of darkness' icy grasp. Basking in light, the dragon came back from its nightmarish prison, and rewarded the warrior with… a vision of the future.

Mh. What a fitting story this was…

Hailan had many stories to tell in his songs, and he had happily translated them for Kirby during the past years, allowing him to discover the rich folklore of his home world, Arranza Star. Even as Hailan did his best to keep his voice closer to a male voice, he was surprisingly able to adapt his voice so that it sounded like two people sang together simultaneously, a duo of a male and a female, and this amazing sound never failed to make Kirby smile and forget his troubles. He never would have imagined, five years ago, that such a quiet ninja could have such a beautiful singing voice… Maybe he had been a singer before? Who really knew?

He could close his eyes and imagine himself, floating on a vast sea of clouds, with no gravity holding him, no fear, no worries, nothing but himself, and the melody that reverberated around him along the rocking waves… For a moment, he felt at peace…

He opened his eyes when he heard sudden barking, and he turned his head to look; Azure was standing in front of someone, tail wagging, but he was so large Kirby couldn't see who it was… until he finally moved out of the way. It was Uncle Az. Kirby swallowed the lump of saliva that suddenly found itself blocking his throat, and he straightened up against the rock he had his back on; Hailan, who was sitting on top of the large rock, kept playing his shamisen, but had stopped singing, as if to respect the other man's arrival. Uncle Az walked over toward them, looking quite pleased to have found them, and with a short greeting in his native tongue – that Kirby wished he could understand – he sat down next to the young warrior, setting his back against the rock with a deep sigh. For a while, he said nothing, and only observed the sea in peaceful silence… and with a short, hidden sigh, Kirby did the same.

Being here with him felt so weird. It wasn't like he was with _him_ but it did at the same time… There was just so much about this man that reminded him of _him_ , it almost made the boy want to cry. His eyes were stinging, and his heart hurt just thinking about him… those golden eyes, smiling at him, that voice, with the same, thick accent, inviting him to go eat at Kawasaki's, those hands, comforting him after hard times…

Kirby took in a deep, shaky breath, and he almost angrily rubbed the unshed tears away from his eyes. Az hummed, lightly…

"Popstar's a beautiful planet," he said, to which only the waves answered as they softly swooshed in on the sand. "It's no wonder he chose this place to raise ye."

Kirby blinked. To raise him? He looked back at him quizzically, and Az did so as well, looking like he might have slipped up. He rubbed his chin confusingly, saying:

"Raise may not be the correct word. Sorry. Elevate? No, that doesn't m…" He mumbled through his native words before he finally said: "Oh, train! Yeh, he chose this place to _train_ ye. That's what Galacta told me, my bad."

Kirby couldn't help but smirk at that. Az was clearly not all that familiar with this side of the galaxy's common tongue, but he had to commend him for doing his best to speak as normally as he could. He forced a chuckle out of him, joking:

"Did Galacta Knight tell you absolutely everything about me so quickly?"

Az smirked and replied:

"Oh, the boy hasn't changed at all in all those years… Mmh, how many is it in your tongue… _oukreya seva o_. Forgive me, Oy'm terrible with these large numbers…" He rubbed his chin, but continued speaking nonetheless. "He told me enough. Oy was told what happened to me son, most of all… That's something he didn't mention to my wife, I assume."

Kirby's head lowered, and he became downcast; all of a sudden, he felt terribly… _guilty_. Something inside, in his heart, became icy cold, almost to the point it burned.

"Galacta told me you two were very close," Az continued, making him raise his head back to him for a brief second before his gaze wandered back to the waves. "I know ye were his student, but is it true?"

"Yeah," Kirby answered vaguely. "I guess… I guess you could say we were. I mean… as far as I'm concerned. I never really knew how he felt about me… Must be the mask. Did he use to hide his face as a kid?"

Az appeared surprised at the question, but in a good way, for it made him smile and laugh.

"Not so literally," he answered in a chuckle. "But, even as a kiddo, Metanyo was hard to understand. He had many… _oufhes._ Mmh… Layers. What he showed and said was rarely what he really thought. But that's what made 'im… him, I suppose." He sighed… "I wish I could have spent more time with 'im…"

Kirby looked up at the man, and found him looking nostalgic…

"How old was he when he left home?" he asked, growing more curious to know more about him.

" _Ike i_. Two… hundred. Give or take a few years. Oy will remember always the night of his _ike i tem_ , his, uhm, birthday. He came to his mother and I and told us he was ready t'go… Oy certainly wasn't ready to see him go. It was too soon. But Oy quickly realized I was… hypocrite. It was his time, and Oy had to accept it. If he was ready, then that was it. He came back every now and then for vacation when he could, at least, so Oy'm grateful for that."

Kirby blinked a few times, trying to sweep that tingling feeling away from his eyes. In a way, it reassured him to see that even someone like him could realize that he had to let go of his son in order for him to be happy; perhaps Kirby himself could learn from this… _but he couldn't let him go_. Suddenly, Az perked up and looked at Kirby with a sudden spark in his eyes.

"Sorry for changing the subject, Oy heard there was a banquet in yer honour tonight," he said, his voice now light and jovial as always. "Shouldn't ye go and prepare? Miss Fumu was looking for ye, now that Oy remember…"

Suddenly, it dawned right on little Kirby; right, the banquet! He had completely forgotten about it! He had been so caught up in that whole Ripple Star business that it had completely flown over his head. Quickly, he scrambled to his feet, asking almost in a panic:

"Oh shit! What time is it?! Fumu's gonna strangle me!"

Judging by the setting sun, he had a very short time before the banquet started. He quickly turned to Uncle Az and bowed down politely, saying:

"Thank you for talking to me about your son, Uncle Az, I'll see you later at the banquet! I wanna hear more eventually though!"

Kirby quickly dashed over to Azure, who had a completely destroyed and burnt ball stuck between his teeth, and leaped onto his back, sending the large wolf on a sprint down the beach, toward his house. He left behind Az, who smiled warmly at his leaving figure, and chuckled. The boy reminded him of an odd mix of his daughter and his son… How refreshing it was to be with him. He felt so… familiar, too. Like it wasn't the first time he was speaking to him. How odd, indeed… Az stood up, and as he was stretching himself, Hailan, who hadn't said a single word since his arrival, jumped down from the rock, making him turn to him. The ninja looked at him – at least, he thought he was, what with that ominous mask on his face – and strapped his shamisen to his back, before lightly bowing down to him.

"I must first and foremost thank you for speaking to him, I believe he needed the talk. However, I must warn you that Master Kirby is very fragile, Mister Khano," he told him, making him lose his smile. "I believe Sir Galacta Knight has told you about his condition."

Az nodded his head. Galacta had told him all the details of that day…

"Aye, he did… The poor boy, he's too young to be suffering from Dark Matter Sickness…"

"In that case, I suggest you keep the subject of Sir Meta Knight to a minimum," answered the ninja, much to his surprise. "Master Kirby reacts strongly to his name alone. He is susceptible to panic attacks from time to time, and so we must watch our words. As his guardian, I will not allow him to fall back into darkness. Am I clear, Mister Khano?"

Az's eyes widened; Galacta had not mentioned this! What horrors had the poor boy seen…? He nodded his head as a reply, saying:

"Oy see. Galacta didn't talk about that… Oy'll keep quiet as much as possible about Meta Knight, then. Thank ye for letting me know."

Hailan lightly bowed again, but as he was leaving after Kirby, Az suddenly told him:

"Ye play music very well. Kirby's lucky to have ye around, Ser Hailan."

The ninja briefly looked back at him, and all he did was nod his head as thanks, before turning back and leaving for good. Az sighed. He searched through his pocket and took out a circular medallion, covered with intricate designs, and opened it; he took the picture that was inside. With all this, he hadn't even done what he had come here to do. Oh well, he told himself. He would show him the picture at the banquet; it would surely cheer the poor lad up!


	15. Dragon At The Banquet

**Fallen Stars: A New Age**

 **Act 2 - Chapter Four: Dragon At The Banquet**

* * *

Aah. The banquet.

It had everything a young lad like Kirby would find enjoyment in; set in the town's plaza, there were long tables filled with food and drinks, meals that everyone had spent the day making in preparation for this. There was music echoing through the air, sweet and toe-tapping tunes that would make any young mind smile and dance on the spot, and there were a lot of people from town, all friends and people the lad knew since the first day he came here a long time ago.

All this, however, felt like a waste.

And so, to help spend the time so the night would end quicker, a slightly irritated yet jovial Kirby decided to get drunk.

Five years ago, the incident with the poisoned cup of wine had grown his distaste of wine itself; however, in the years that followed, with a very convincing Galacta Knight from one side and a pushy Bun from the other, Kirby had gone and tried other things, such as cocktails. And he found out, much to Fumu's horror, that he quite liked it. Now, a tipsy Kirby was enjoying himself on the outskirts of the busy banquet, sitting on a bench that was close enough so that he could at least enjoy the music without having a gang of people harassing him. Bun and Azure were with him, as always, and they kept the chatter low. It was as if Bun could feel that Kirby wasn't entirely there, and was making an effort not to push him.

"Did you hear?" the cappy said. "Honey and Iroo are actually getting married. Next year, I heard."

Kirby chuckled and smiled.

"Actually?" he repeated. "You mean finally! Those two have been running after each other for years, glad they finally decided to tie the knot."

 _"What knot will they tie?"_ Azure asked from his spot on the ground, looking up at Kirby with a clueless look.

"It's an expression, Azure," Kirby answered, now used to having to explain these things to this very literal demon. "Means getting married."

Azure looked like he was seriously thinking for a good five seconds… before he asked:

 _"What is married? You never say that. Is it a disease?"_

"Sweet Nova," Kirby whispered, closing his eyes as he brought what remained of his drink to his mouth while an amused Bun laughed wholeheartedly. "It's not a disease, they're just… uh… Bun, explain it, I'm not… uuggh…"

He chugged the rest of his drink, while a smirky Bun sat back against the bench.

"Getting married is some kind of ceremony," Bun took over, making the demon look over to him. "Two people get together and that ceremony means that they'll live together for possibly the rest of their lives. Simple as that."

The demon wolf slowly blinked his glowing eyes a few times, trying to understand this strange concept, and then slowly nodded his head and concluded:

 _"So they mate for life. Got it."_

Both Kirby and Bun had a similar reaction to his words, where they both wanted to laugh and gag at the same time, and Bun let a few chuckles out, replying:

"Guess you could say that, but… don't say it in public. You might embarass them."

 _"Noted. Why aren't you two 'getting married'?"_ Azure asked with a very sincere tone in his monotone voice.

This question took them both by surprise, and though the two brothers shared a look, Bun answered simply:

"I dunno, I guess you need a girlfriend for that sort of stuff. Or a boyfriend, I dunno. I'm not really looking for either right now though…"

Kirby was about to answer that he was just not interested in love affairs, but something held his tongue back. He didn't know what it was or why he wouldn't say it, but… he could already feel it; the fog, shrouding him with its thick blindness, as he was fading in the dreamscape of his visions…

Except he didn't go far this time, for a woozy Kirby was taken by surprise when he heard his name being called. He and the other two turned toward the plaza, where they saw Fumu, heading their way. She gestured them to come over, calling:

"Come on here, Kirby! There's a surprise for you!"

A surprise? Now his interest was piqued! Happy to step away from that strange conversation about marriage, the lad stood up and, followed by Bun and Azure, went after Fumu, who guided him back toward the main table in front of the great tree in the center of the plaza, where the young Star Warrior had a special place right for him in the very center of it. He thought he might have been a little more drunk than he had thought, for when he walked this way with Fumu, everything felt a bit more wobbly than it should, and he plumped down on the chair feeling much relieved to have another support under him. That was most certainly his last drink for the night, for sure… All around the plaza were so many people; friends, family, groups of Waddle Dees scattered all around, even the soldiers who were stationed at the Agency's landing spot were here, and they were all looking toward him. One thing he could see clear as day in their eyes, was praise. He started feeling dreadfully awful…

He did not feel he deserved this praise.

It didn't help when he saw her; the fairy, Ribbon. She was in that crowd too, standing out like a star in the darkness, and he couldn't help but stare at her. He tried to look apologetic, he tried to make her know that he was sorry he couldn't help her star, but he could barely feel his face at this point, so who really knew what expression he had at this moment. She looked much more at ease than she previously did, and her smile proved that she was at least enjoying herself. Nearby, Kirby saw Galacta Knight, and next to him, to his surprise, was Hailan; it seemed even the ninja decided to not hide in the shadows for once. A part of Kirby was grateful for that. Nearby, near Fumu and the rest of the Parm family, was Uncle Az, who smiled at him and raised his half-empty glass in a quiet salute to him; Kirby only nodded back, offering the same kind of smile.

His attention was completely taken from everything going on in the plaza at this moment – people calling him, waving at him, kids running up to the table asking for his autograph, even older people coming over telling him they were glad to see him tonight – when the large and imposing penguin who ruled this land of dreams came through the crowd, followed by an elderly Escargon who seemed rather pleased; by the look on his face, Kirby could tell Dedede had no dirty tricks planned for tonight. That was one worry crossed from the list! Not that he had given that idea much thought in the first place; Dedede had calmed a lot over time with the dirty tricks. The large monarch stepped up and raised his arms, looking around as he called out:

"Alright alright y'all, quiet down! Got something to say!"

King Dedede walked closer to the table where Kirby sat, causing the young man to look up at him through hazy yet oddly clear eyes, wondering what he might have to say. Kirby briefly looked at Fumu to the side, only to see her shrug at him; obviously this wasn't the surprise she had been planning, for she looked very confused, as did most of the villagers who were in on the surprise.

"Pipsqueak!" Dedede told him, bringing a fragment of his attention back to him. "As I told you earlier, I, your great and generous king, am the one who came up with the idea of this banquet. You can thank me whenever ya feel, lad!"

The crowd surrounding him then began to whisper among each other and a few voices came up, saying louder:

"Well that's just not true!"

In response, King Dedede only waved his hand around, saying:

"Quiet you! I'm the king and I'm the one who decides who came up with what!"

Kirby was doing his best not to laugh out loud; aah, a part of him had certainly missed this! King Dedede's antics were a classic he would never get tired of. The king turned back toward him and clasped his hands together.

"So! As I was saying before I got rudely interrupted by these commoners, you can thank me anytime, squirt. But! Not before you get a load of this! Waddle Dees!"

The moment he called out, a rumour spread across the plaza, and Kirby watched as the crowd split up a path for a small group of Waddle Dees to cross. The small creatures walked toward him, each with its arms up, holding what looked like a gift wrapped up in colourful paper. Kirby became increasingly curious when the little creatures set the gift down right in front of him on the table and backed away, leaving Dedede to say:

"I gotcha a little something, squirt. It'll be my present for your next twenty birthdays! Hahaha!"

The lad stood up on his chair, looking down at the gift with great curiosity. Kirby was somewhat ecstatic to know what was inside, but his curiosity became tinted with suspicion as he took the strange, circular present in his hands and weighted it. It was somewhat heavy… and was only just slightly bigger than his face.

"Is it… some kind of trap?" he asked toward the king with a smirk. "Like that pie-throwing one you did for my tenth birthday? This thing looks strangely similar."

"That's a classic!" King Dedede exclaimed, still proud of that one trick he pulled all those years back. "But no, it's not. Go on, open it! You're gonna love it! Worked real hard on that one, lad."

His suspicion still present, Kirby shrugged his shoulders and began to rip the paper apart.

The moment he did, the first reflection of a nearby paper lamp on a metallic surface was sufficient to make his core drop.

It dropped so low into his gut that he actually choked; his hands froze, and the partially covered gift fell back on the table with a muffled _clang_. Around him, the others were watching, suddenly growing worried at the face he was making; a mix of horror and shock. Hailan took a step forward, ready to be at his side should anything happen… but Kirby said nothing.

With shaky hands, he pulled the paper open, until the object hidden underneath was completely freed for all to see.

A mask, with a V shaped visor.

Kirby wanted to say something, but through the heavy lump that blocked his throat at this very moment, all he did was open his mouth, with no sound coming out. He was baffled. Completely and utterly baffled, and maybe a little bit broken inside. The mask… This mask…

"I know I'm a few years late, but I got it repaired!" King Dedede said, his voice echoing through the thousand other voices screaming inside Kirby's head. "It cost me a lot of money for the smith guy I found, so I hope you're happy with it!"

"Dedede!" a heavily crossed Fumu called out to the king, making him turn to her. "You didn't say you were going to give it to him!"

"What?" King Dedede shrugged his shoulders, blissfully unaware of Kirby's torment. "You keep complaining that I dun give anythin' to the lad, and now that I give 'im somethin' you're mad?! Make up your mind, princess!"

Fumu was about to yell some more things, but she clearly held it all back, for fear of triggering Kirby some more with some unwanted words.

"You should have told me!" she ended up saying.

"Well, it's too late now! I'm sure Kirb loves it, right squirt?" Dedede turned to look at Kirby, but immediately stopped talking.

The young warrior… was dreadfully quiet. He kept staring at the lifeless mask, unable to move or say anything. He wasn't crying, but his eyes reflected all sorts of things, most of them memories, and the crowd became eerily silent as they watched and waited for a response of any kind. Slowly, Kirby plumped back on his seat, looking almost… depleted. As though a splitting headache suddenly came to him, the young lad brought a hand to his face and pinched between his eyes, letting out a single groan.

Hailan took a few steps forward, ready to go by his side and escort him out of this place, but Galacta Knight put a hand on his shoulder, making him turn to him. The winged knight shook his head, and instead walked forward himself, taking matters in his own hands. He walked around the table and made his way over to Kirby's chair, putting a hand on his shoulder to get his attention. Kirby snapped out of it as soon as he did, looking back up with a brighter, new expression. Galacta Knight took the mask in his other hand, saying:

"Huh, it looks a lot better than it did, don't you agree, Kirby?"

Still somewhat lost in the raging sea of his mind, Kirby took a brief moment to find an answer, and forced out a little smirk.

"Yeah, it sure does," he said, clearing his throat and rubbing an eye as he looked back up at King Dedede. "Well that's what I call a surprise, I sure wasn't expecting this! If your plan was to make me cry, you can forget it, not happening!"

King Dedede appeared suddenly relieved, and his loud laugh brought the tension of the crowd back down immediately, making them all talk among each other about the mask as he said:

"Victory for the king! I knew you'd like it, lad. See, princess?" he turned toward Fumu, who still appeared as though she did not agree one bit with this. "He's totally fine! Stop frowning, you're gonna get stuck like this!"

In the chattering crowd, Ribbon watched quietly… Of all the things she had heard and read about this young Star Warrior, she had woven for herself an image of a fearless, stoic knight, a knight who would rush to the aid of whoever asked for it. But since she came here, the image she had was shattered completely; the boy she was looking at was filled with untold sorrow, and before he could help anyone else, though it may not have been clear to all in this town, it was clear to her; he had to help himself. Clearly, whoever this mask belonged to meant a lot to him… but what had happened? Was this person… dead? She dreaded asking, for fear of the answer… and she instead watched, quietly, as Kirby laughed the situation away, burying whatever sorrow had inhabited him away.

"This is a nice gift, Your Majesty!" Galacta Knight told the king as he raised the mask a bit more. "I didn't know you had kept the parts, I thought they were just thrown away. It's a good thing they were kept, this mask looks brand new now. The smith you paid so much money to did a remarkable job."

Kirby had to agree; looking at where the mask had once been cut in half, it was like it had never happened. Any scratches or familiar marks on its surface had been smoothed out, making it look brand new. To think it was Dedede who thought of this… He had to give him credit. _And he had to give credit to himself, he hadn't shed a single tear…_

"It was the Waddle Dees who found the parts," King Dedede lightly explained. "I didn't know what else to do with it, so here ya go!"

Fumu still cast an angry glare at Dedede, before walking toward the table and leaning forward to look at Kirby. Quietly, she whispered:

"Are you okay…?"

And yet, despite everything, Kirby smiled widely, shattering her fears in an instant.

"I'm totally fine!" he said, making the knight standing next to him smile. "I was just, you know, not expecting it, I'm actually really happy about it. I guess… it makes for a nice… memento, or somethin'."

"Neat!" Galacta Knight concluded, tapping Kirby playfully on the head before taking the mask off the table. "I'll be keeping this with me for now, if you don't mind. I'll leave it at your house later, alright? Wouldn't want to get any cake on it!"

Kirby agreed; he knew why he wanted to get it away from him: his core was still pumping so loudly in his ears… As Galacta Knight left his side and went back into the crowd with the repaired mask in hand, the knight was surrounded by a small crowd of people who wished to see it up close, and Kirby took this moment to recompose himself real quick by taking deep breaths. With all the alcohol in his system, he was starting to see double…

King Dedede then came closer, crossing his arms as he asked toward Fumu:

"So, what about _your_ surprise, princess? Think it'll beat this?"

"Pff!" Fumu scoffed, turning to the king. "Of course it will! Are you ready for it, Kirby?"

The young drunk warrior tried to look completely normal as he turned to her, and he nodded his head.

"R-ready whenever you are!" he answered her, unable to keep his voice steady for a brief instant.

Fumu either didn't notice it, or did an excellent job at hiding her worry, and turned back toward a few people in the crowd, making some hand gestures as if to get them to bring something over, like Dedede had done with the Waddle Dees. While she did, something inside Kirby pulled harshly, telling him to be wary. His gaze went up to the sky, almost automated…

And the fog began to take over his mind… and as all sounds vanished and silence filled the plaza, for this one moment, he heard one thing.

 _"Help me…!"_

Kirby slowly blinked his eyes, feeling ever so light… That voice, he had heard it before. Five years ago… Lost in the dark… But where was it coming from? It felt like… it was right there… right next to him…

"Kirby?"

He blinked again, suddenly coming right out of the fog, and realized he was still looking at the sky. There was something… strange, about that sky. The stars were agitated, as if blinking in and out of existence, trying to speak out in silence. He looked down at Fumu, who appeared worried again.

"Are you okay?" she asked, surrounded by a group of friends who looked just as weirded out by his actions.

But Kirby didn't answer to her question. He raised his head back up at that strange sky and pointed a hand upward, saying:

"The sky looks weird."

"What do you mean?" she asked, confused.

"I don't know, there's… a distortion, kinda. I don't know how to say it. I mean, I'm not that drunk… am I?"

And then, before anyone else could add anything to this strange conversation, the sky went ablaze; a blinding light, as brief and sudden as a lightning strike. People gasped, the townsfolk raised their heads, a rumour spreading across the plaza, and Kirby stood up on his chair; his eyes widened at what he saw at that moment.

High up against the deep blue sky, an immense portal opened, like a sheet of paper being torn open from the other side; it spread and opened like a flower, shaped like a glowing and iridescent star, the most beautiful thing they had ever witnessed. On the other side of the portal, one could see fiery nebulas and unknown stars, a completely different world far from their own; and from that portal suddenly came a large, unknown ship. It was shaped like a sea vessel, with a mast and rowing paddles, complete with a highly decorated bow that glowed with rich energy. Kirby couldn't take his eyes away from this magnificent piece of art…

The ship came in fast, like it had been going full speed through hyperspace, and only now did Kirby notice; it was aflame! A plume of fiery smoke followed behind as the vessel continued on its uncontrolled course, tilting to the side and ready to plummet to the ground. The whole town gasped and screamed when the ship came in contact with the earth, raising a distant but huge cloud of dust and dirt as the ground shook under its weight and size. The sudden shock wave reached the town, sending many to the ground, and Kirby even fell out of his chair with a surprised gasp. In the sky, the portal closed and vanished, like a flower closing itself at dusk… and then there was silence.

Kirby's core was beating furiously in his chest; he knew it! He knew something bad would happen! It wasn't Uncle Az's arrival, it wasn't Ribbon, it wasn't even the mask, but _this_!

"What the heck was that thing!" King Dedede bellowed, sitting on the ground after falling during the resulting shock wave.

"A ship!" Kirby said, immediately shifting back to his primal, Star Warrior instincts. "There must be someone inside! Let's go see!"

He ran over the table and jumped on the ground, immediately running over toward where he had seen the ship crash. He was far from the only one who had this idea, for it seemed almost the whole town was going there. As he ran in the crowd of curious and scared cappies, Kirby was suddenly picked up from the ground, making him gasp out, but he calmed when he saw it was Azure; the large wolf brought him over on his back and began to run, much faster than anyone else ever could, and Kirby held on to his mane. They exited the town and ran through the surrounding hills and fields; in the distance, the cloud of dust was slowly settling back down, showing that the ship had crashed into a large hill near the sea. It had left a long trail of turned up earth and uprooted trees in its wake, leaving the landscape completely destroyed, but Kirby didn't much care for that; there had to be someone in that ship, and they could need his help! He couldn't help Ribbon on Ripple Star, but he could show her that he _could_ , actually, do something else.

That he wasn't useless.

Kirby blinked. Where did… that thought come from…? Did he really feel useless? It was so sudden a realization that he blanked out for a very brief moment… and when he raised his head, they were at the crash site.

The vessel was so big, he had to raise his head high to look at all of it. It was in very poor shape, with what looked like explosion holes breaching the hull in many places, and yet despite all the apparent damage, the ship looked nothing like anything Kirby had ever seen before. It looked both way advanced but ancient at the same time; the vibe he got from standing in front of this magnificent vessel was unlike anything else… He quickly hopped down from Azure's back, taking a few steps forward; however, he was stopped when Azure growled and held him back with a paw. The demon-beast was looking up at the ship, his eyes flaring.

 _"I see one,"_ he said between his growls. _"Male, injured… Strange shape."_

"Is it a demon-beast?" he asked right as they were joined by the rest of the crowd.

 _"Can't tell."_

Galacta Knight and Hailan both landed in from the air beside Kirby, ready to defend him should anything pop up, and hearing Azure's response, Galacta Knight said:

"Hailan, do you see anything else?"

"No," he answered. "The person inside… is Halcandran. He's unconscious, and injured to the head. I suggest great caution, Master Kirby. There is no one else inside the ship, but the energy emanating from its core is unstable. It could explode at any moment. We have to get the crowd away from here."

Kirby was about to say that they were going in to get that person out of there, but at that moment, the crowd behind them began to cry out again, making them all raise their heads to the sky once more. It was happening again; high against the heavens, the sky tore apart like a blooming flower, spiralling open into the shape of a bright star, and Kirby wondered if another similar ship would come down here. However, what appeared out of that portal was something completely different.

At first, everyone heard it; a distant, terrible roar, like the long and eerie howl of thunder. Kirby gasped when he finally saw the creature the roar belonged to; it was a dragon! It flew through the portal, its screeches like lightning strikes as it spread its large wings against the night sky. The red-scaled giant flew right down toward them, and the crowd wasted no time in running off toward safety, and though Kirby wanted to stay and look at it, he was pulled back by Galacta Knight along with everyone else.

"What is that!" he asked as he was forced to hop backward to safety.

"It is not a demon-beast!" Hailan answered. "Just stay back, My Lord!"

With a thunderous roar, the dragon landed right on top of the ship, crashing its body into the mast; the shock of the hit immediately sent the mast breaking down, making it crash onto the deck, and the dragon reared its head up against the sky and roared again, forcing the onlookers to block their ears, it was so loud. Squinting his eyes, Kirby waited for the horrible sound to die down before daring looking up again at it, only to see it resume its wrecking of the ship.

The dragon bore only four limbs, two of which were its giant wings, which it was now using to cling on to the ship as it hopped around the deck. The dragon was large, yes, but not as large as other flying demon-beasts he had seen; in comparison, it was certainly smaller than Dyna Blade, but even more frightening to watch. It used its long tail to balance itself while its long neck reared back; it opened its beak-like snout and a sudden jet of lava-like fire erupted out, striking the ether orb sitting near the back of the deck. The large glowing orb almost immediately gave in to the sheer force of the attack and shattered open, and Kirby watched as the glowing ether particles who used to power the ship fluttered away, vanishing from their sight.

"What is that dragon doing?" Kirby asked, turning toward Galacta Knight, then to Hailan, unsure of who to ask.

He was concerned about the person inside the ship; the dragon was hitting its bulky body against the main station, as if it was trying to get in, and the force of the impacts made the ship rock back and forth a little, digging itself even deeper into the hill it was nested in.

"Well it's clearly after the person inside that ship," Galacta Knight answered as if it was an obvious response. "But we are _not_ stopping that dragon."

"Why?" the young Star Warrior asked again, outraged at such a response. "We gotta help that guy! That dragon is gonna eat him! Do what you want but I'm helping him!"

Without even thinking it through and only listening to his drumming Core, Kirby dashed toward the ship. Hailan called his name, immediately running after him:

"Master Kirby! Wait! Don't!"

Kirby didn't stop until he was close enough to the ship, and taking in a deep breath, even as Hailan came to stop right behind him, he called out as loud as he could:

"HEY! Stop that right now!"

At first, there was no response, and he thought his words had fallen in deaf ears… but then, he realized, he wasn't hearing any impact hits. The ship had stopped moving… and then, he heard the dragon step around on the deck, as if its anger was quenched… and the closer the steps approached, the more Kirby began to shake. It was then that he saw it; the dragon's head, appearing over the deck, peeking down at him. Their eyes met; its own were a bright, lively green, and inside those spiralling irises he could see all of the mysteries of the Universe, all contained within that scaly hide. Hailan stood by his side, but Kirby saw him back away one step, and do something he didn't expect; he kneeled down on one leg, lowering his head as if in great respect. Kirby gulped. What did he put himself into now? He should have listened to him…

Surprisingly, he saw the dragon's head tilt to the side, as if in curiosity, and then the massive celestial creature stepped forward, deciding to hop down from the ship. Kirby wanted desperately to back away, but he clenched his teeth together and stood his ground, even as the giant monster stood before him. Its claws dug into the earth, but yet its movements were now calm and collected, even calculated. How… odd. To go from such a terrible anger to being so serene…

The dragon then lowered its long neck, bringing its large head down to his level. Now, Kirby could see its features much clearer; a snout like a beak, a pair of great horns adorning its head, a strange marking covering its entire face, shaped like a five-branched star… and there was, of course, the crown sitting on its scalp. It was… eerie. It had strange, golden claws clinging to the dragon's head, while in its center was a glowing crystal, also green in colour, very much like its eyes. It was eerie, but Kirby could feel no malice coming from it… only…

endless…

power…

Behind them, Azure was growling like a mad dog, but strangely, he didn't dare move; every time he looked up at the dragon, he lowered his eyes, as if he couldn't stare at it too long. Next to him, Galacta only stared, feeling as though he had seen this very scene once before, long ago…

Kirby's gaze dropped back down to the dragon's eyes when it suddenly spoke; its voice was… kind, strangely. Each word was a growl, but it rolled off its tongue so well, one could almost believe it was Popstarian.

"You are the Star Child. Yes?"

Kirby hesitated a great deal, but nodded his head timidly anyway. The dragon tilted its head again, then gave a curious look at the people gathered on the field behind him, all quiet and scared, and it turned back to him.

"You are not as we saw," it spoke. "You are incomplete. Broken. Fix yourself, and you might be able to saveguard all those you are losing."

Kirby found himself terribly confused by its words, and he stuttered a bit as he asked:

"Huh… What? What do you mean, I'm incomplete? Saveguard who?"

But the dragon did not have the time to answer, for it raised its head again at the sky, toward the still opened portal that shone against it, making Kirby turn to look at it as well. Out of it then came three other draconic forms, each resembling the one that stood in front of Kirby like identical siblings, but as they roared and flew around the sky, terrifying the villagers down below, none of them landed. Kirby looked back at the crowned one, only to see it stand up on its hind legs, preparing for flight. The Star Warrior took a step forward, calling:

"Wait! Don't leave! Please, answer me! You can't leave just like that!"

The beast looked down at him, and the growling sounds that resounded from its throat reminded him of chuckles.

"Find that which will complete you, and come back to us," it spoke to him. "Find us on Halcandra. We are Landia."

And before Kirby could speak again, the dragon beat its enormous wings, and hopped from the ground, sending a strong blast of wind in the young warrior's face, almost sending him off his feet. The dragon flew up toward the sky and joined with its brethren, and together they all went back the way they came. When they dove into the portal, leaving their terrifying roars behind, the glowing star closed itself like a wilting flower… and then, there was silence.

Kirby realized only now that he was holding his breath, and released it. He felt like passing out right then and there… Hailan put his hand on his shoulder, making him turn to him, and the ninja asked:

"Are you alright, Master Kirby?"

He nodded his head. He was fine, but he had more than his fair share of questions. He pointed toward the ship.

"I'm fine. Let's go find that guy, he needs help!"

Without saying anything about the dragon's strange words, Kirby ran toward the ship, jumping up on its deck to find a way in…


	16. Absent Eyes Staring Back

**Fallen Stars: A New Age**

 **Act 2 - Chapter Five: Absent Eyes Staring Back**

* * *

Dream Journal # 2 – Entry 1

 _Alright, so, I've been having a lot of weird, creepy dreams lately, creepy enough to keep me awake at night, and my therapist, Miss Evadi, suggested that I start a new journal to see if we could find any meaning behind them. I doubt there is any, for all I know they're just a bunch of nonsense that I might as well not pay any attention to, but me being me, I guess I can't help but dwell on them. Anyway, I'm rambling again, so, might as well start._

 _The dream I had last night was especially boring in comparison to the shit I've been seeing. I was in a weird, unknown yet familiar place, it was a huge hill, with a big, lush and leafy tree on top of it. It was huge, and the sun was shining, and I had a beautiful view of the landscape around, which consisted mostly of hills, with a forest not so far away. The breezy air smelled of salt. It was… a nice place. Anyway, I was just playing and running around that tree, and I guess I was just having fun. But there was another kid with me. Another Kiridan. We were playing tag. I was faster, but he was bigger and rougher, probably older than me. He looked very familiar… He turned toward me eventually and asked if I wanted to go fish with him and his dad the day after._

 _I woke up right after. Too tired to make connections right now, but eh, a dream is a dream._

* * *

The interior of the alien ship looked like something out of those terrifying old science-fiction movies. There was close to no power left to run the strange technology of this wreckage, and that turned what remained of the inside into a charred and dark abyss that reeked of sulfur and molten metal. What few neon lights remained were flickering in and out, with electric cords producing from the broken panels of the walls, feeding the eerie air with a feeling of abandoned hope. Kirby doubted they could ever hope to salvage this ship in this sad state. It was a real shame, but looking at this terrifying hallway made him forget about this possibility, and with a ball of thick saliva stuck in his throat, the brave yet scared young warrior took a step forward, ready to-

 _"Kirby."_

Already on edge, Kirby jumped suddenly with a sharp gasp, and the tensed little man whirled around. Azure, that big idiot dog, was standing right there behind him, and all Kirby could see of him in the flickering lights were his eerie, glowing eyes. Kirby bit his lip so he wouldn't say things he would regret, but he did extend his hand to tap Azure on the head in a reprimanding fashion, saying:

"Don't do that!"

Azure's ears flattened a bit on his lowered head, and he sniffed the air, wary of everything he could see.

 _"I don't like this place,"_ he said. _"Let's leave."_

"And leave this guy behind?" Kirby answered. "No way. Come on, let's go."

Kirby, frustrated to have been scared by his own friend like that, turned back around to continue walking in the corridor, but he stopped; Hailan was already ahead, toward the end of the corridor. Under a flickering neon light, he turned back to the two boys and said:

"Master Kirby, the way is clear. Be wary, there is fire in the upper levels, but it is nothing Azure cannot deal with if you are fast. I will scout on ahead."

And without waiting for anything else from Kirby, the ninja dove into the darkness, the faded light of his antennas being the last thing Kirby saw. The young warrior blinked a few times; he knew ninjas were meant to be subtle, but he still couldn't understand how Hailan made it past him without even being seen. But eh, he told himself, that's what ninjas did, so he wasn't that surprised.

Without any more waiting around, Kirby and Azure both continued down the corridor as well, their goal set on the main deck of the ship. The fire the dragon had spat inside the ship had acted like a lava flow that coated the walls and floors in a thick layer of dark molten rocks and panels. Only a few spots on the ground had cooled off enough so Kirby could walk forward, but the deeper they went in, the more smokey the air became, making it hardly breathable at all. They hurried through messed up rooms and short halls, and Kirby was barely able to see anything there was in here with how dark and smokey it was. Finally, they made it to a larger door, but it seemed to have short-circuited, for it was barely open and wouldn't respond to any presses of the panel next to it. Kirby took matters in hand and attempted to slip through the open gap, thankful that his body was squishy enough to allow him to do that, and once he was stuck between the door and the wall, he pushed with all of his strength. With Azure's paws offering their help in pulling the door, they managed to open it just enough to allow full entry, and what they saw on the other side shook them.

The main deck was a large room containing many broken screens and panels hanging from the walls and ceiling. There were closed off rooms on either side of the deck, but one could easily see that fire was raging behind those, and the smoke here was getting worse for the lungs. On the ground, Kirby saw him; the Halcandran, laying face down on the floor, motionless…

* * *

Down below, Hailan looked at up at the ceiling; he had not gone in the same direction as his young master, and he could see them, far up in the upper levels, making their way toward the main deck. He still had time to investigate this place, which was his main concern right now. In all of his years both in the Ninja Special Forces and as a mercenary travelling the stars, he had never seen a ship of this kind, and it worried him greatly. Halcandrans weren't known to be violent creatures, but still the thought that this could be a potential weapon wouldn't leave his mind, and so, the ninja decided to explore a bit before this ship went up in flames. There must have been a reason why a Guardian Dragon would want to destroy it… or was it the Halcandran it was trying to destroy? Either way, there was enough cause for concern that Hailan needed to remain on guard on all fronts, and so here he was, heading down into the bowels of the ship.

He was not the least bit familiar with the Halcandran tongue, so the written panels on the walls leading his way meant nothing to him, but following the logical schematic of a normal ship, he made his way to the engine room. On the way, Hailan's strange eyes caught something; in the walls, he could see what remained of the ether flowing in the pipes behind the panels, barely enough drops to power the lights around, but alongside that was… something else. This strange new energy flowed with the ether, seemingly receiving power from it, but Hailan had never seen it before. To his eyes, it looked… it felt… ancient. Confused, and dreadfully curious, the hybrid followed the traces of ether toward the engine room. When he arrived, he found exactly why the ship had crashed in the first place. Any strange technology that could have been here was now gone, and replaced with a smokey, flaming hole that lead straight outside the ship. Disappointed that he wouldn't get any answers as to this strange energy, Hailan saw no reason to stay in this destroyed place and went back on his steps. There was something else he could look for instead… and he found it quicker than he thought.

By going back a few rooms and heading left instead of right, Hailan found the computer room. By Halcandran standards, this place looked… modern. It even had the standard computer models Halcandrans used today, and it made a stark difference with the ancient looking technology present in the rest of the ship. This place was unpowered, but Hailan knew what he was after. The computers were like large libraries of microchips and digital books all connected to each other, each containing important data from the ship, and after so many years of hacking and stealing from demon computers of the same kind, Hailan knew what info he was after; the captain logs. Usually, they were the ones containing the most secret information a chatty captain could leave in his personal logs. Ah, but alas, in their team, Hailan was the least reliable when it came to computer hacking; it was usually Kaï's job to do that… Going through the tall shelves of chips, Hailan started doubting himself, unsure of which one to take. He could read the demon tongue, but not the Halcandran's… If they were dealing with Halcandrans, he would have to change that, for sure.

Before he could make up his mind, however, he raised his head to check on Kirby; and saw that he and Azure had made it to the main deck; but Kirby was struggling! He couldn't breathe up there! The fire was spreading, and not even Azure absorbing it could stop it. Regretfully, Hailan abandoned the computer room and ran as fast as he could through the ship, setting his idea of investigating this place at the back of his mind for now. His Master was at the top of his priorities, after all, and he would not fail him now. If he had the chance, he would come back later…

* * *

Kirby was seeing stars by now. The smoke was growing thicker by the minute, making it impossible to both see and breathe, but no matter how much he shook the Halcandran, he wouldn't wake. Kirby tried looking up and around to find a quick way out, but his head started spinning, and he felt like passing out right then and there. He could hear Azure's whining and barking as he did his best to take in all the fire that had spread into the main deck, but he couldn't see him at all. It felt like he had his eyes closed, and for a short moment, Kirby wondered if he did have them closed; they were tingling and crying, infected by the smoke… Kirby felt the Halcandran in front of him and attempted to carry him, but he started coughing, forcing them both down. He tried to inhale the smoke to clear the way, but it invaded his throat with harsh knives, making him cough badly and choke. He started deeply regretting coming into this ship now… White dots were swarming the edges of his darkened vision... Everything was swaying…

"Azure, blow a hole through the wall, and get the Halcandran out. Don't growl at me, hurry!"

Suddenly, the young Star Warrior heard a loud explosion nearby; it was followed by the most refreshing breeze he had ever felt upon his face. He raised his head and opened his eyes just in time to see what appeared to be Azure, jumping out of a giant hole in the hull. Hailan then helped him stand back up, and without a word, wrapped his young master's arm around his shoulder before forcing him to move; next thing he knew, Kirby was outside, in the fresh and welcome night air. He had never been so happy to feel that grass under his feet!

Coughing what remained of the invading smoke out of his hurting lungs, a rather unpleased Kirby turned to the ninja, saying amidst a few coughs:

"Where were you?! I thought you said you'd be scouting ahead!"

"I did," was Hailan's calm answer as he pulled out his flask of water and handed it to him, "but I suppose I wasn't clear enough with my intentions of investigating the vessel. Please forgive me, My Lord."

With one final cough, Kirby still accepted the flask, shaking his head as he mumbled:

"It's fine, don't worry about it… Man, I hate smoke…"

He always felt like this around smoke. He could barely inhale it at all, depending on the quantity of it, and it made it one of his worst enemies.

Kirby briefly looked back at the ship, only to frown at the sad sight; the fires had completely engulfed the upper levels of the ship, and heavy plumes of black smoke were escaping into the night sky, darkening what had otherwise been a beautifully clear night. Even from this greater distance, Kirby could feel the hot drafts of air emanating from this brasier of a ship. Farther out, the coughing young lad could see the villagers scramble around with water hoses and buckets of water, trying to put the flames down in fear that it might spread out to the fields. He could see Galacta Knight flying overhead, dropping heavy buckets of water on top of the heaviest flames in order to control them; the knight briefly saw them, gave them a sign of his hand, and resumed his work.

Kirby turned back toward Azure when he heard his wolf bark out at him; the Halcandran was laying on his back, and he was moving, ever so slightly. He and Hailan both ran over, and Kirby let the ninja take the Halcandran from Azure's back, quickly laying him down in the grass.

"Is he alright?" he asked the ninja.

"I think he's waking up," he answered in a more hushed voice.

Kirby could now observe the Halcandran with a clearer eye, and he stood surprised at how young he looked. Not a young teen, but definitely not a full blown adult either, judging by his face and size. He was about Kirby's size, and was wearing blue and golden garments with modest decoration, akin to those of Miss Evadi, with a hood to cover his head and his small, ear-shaped horns. His blue-clad body was shaped like an egg, and a blue scarf was covering most of his face, although Hailan had to move it out of the way so he could breathe. His dark-brown skinned face looked young and kind, but hurt as well… And finally, he opened his eyes.

Bright yet clouded yellow eyes opened to the world, slowly blinking the haze away as he awakened more and more. He coughed harshly, and Kirby gave back the flask of water to Hailan, so the ninja could offer him some. The Halcandran gladly took a few gulps, and it seemingly revitalized him, making Kirby smile. He was glad to see that he was okay, but he lost his smile when he saw the young alien sit up and look around, his eyes clouding themselves with panic as he took in his surroundings. Hailan acted immediately and put a gentle hand on his back to keep him still and calm, and he spoke in his kindest voice:

"Fear not, young one, you are safe here. I am Hailan. Can you tell me your name?"

Kirby saw the Halcandran's eyes dart back and forth, first setting on Hailan with a confused look, then staring right toward the Kiridan. It was only now that Kirby took notice of the emblem on his coat and front; gear symbols. A most familiar sight…

"I-I'm…," the scared alien stuttered, showing his heavy Halcandran accent. "My name… is Magolor. W-where am I? What happened?"

He then took notice of the large, flaming and smoky vessel in the distance, and Kirby watched as he seemingly retrieved all of his energy and stood; he floated off the ground, taking a few steps forward as he exclaimed, putting his hands over his horns in disbelief:

"Why is my ship on fire?!"

But before anyone could elaborate on why it was the case, Magolor groaned and held his head in his hands, slowly floating back in the grass. Kirby quickly went by his side, offering a helping hand as he asked:

"Are you okay? We just got you out of there, you were about to get caught in that fire."

Magolor then looked up at him, his suspicious and confused eyes turning curious by the moment.

"W… Who are you?" he asked. "I feel like… I've seen you before, but I can't recall where."

"Oh! Sorry, I should've introduced myself first. I'm Kirby! It's nice to meet you, Magolor! … despite the circumstances. Sorry about your ship…"

"Kirby…," the Halcandran repeated slowly. "It's… It's nice to meet you. Glad I landed on a friendly star at least… Urgh, my ship…"

Hailan walked over and gently moved his hood to expose his head; and thus the injury lying beneath it. There was a large and swollen bump right at the top left of his forehead, just before his horn. No wonder he felt dizzy.

"Mmh," Hailan hummed. "You must have hit your head on the console when the ship crashed. Can you recall what happened?"

For a moment, a disheartened Magolor seemed to think and search for any answer… but he shook his head, looking rather distraught.

"No," he answered in a shaky voice. "Not at all. Last thing I remember… I was home. I had just got out of dinner and heading for my room… and then bam, can't remember anything after that. Next thing I know, I'm all the way in our sister dimension and the Lor is on fire! I had just finished working on this ship too… Now I gotta start all over again!"

He held his head in his hands again, but this time more in desperation than in dizziness, and that sight alone pulled at Kirby's heart. He kindly tapped him on the shoulder, saying:

"Don't worry about it, we'll help you repair it! I think we need to check you up first though…"

"Come," Hailan said, helping the Halcandran back to his 'feet' and holding him up. "I will take you to the doctor, you will be able to rest. Don't think about your ship for now. Everything is under control."

Kirby watched quietly as the ninja and the Halcandran slowly made their way away from the flaming ship, but as he did, he noticed in the distance a few shapes coming closer… Fumu! She was running their way, along with a few others, but they all stopped when they met with Hailan and her patient. He stopped as well, probably to ask where the doctor was, and Fumu answered by pointing in a direction and saying some things Kirby couldn't hear. While he was observing and getting lost, he felt a dry nose rub against his arm and he turned to Azure, who had lowered his head to his level and wanted to be rubbed. Kirby did just that, gladly running his hands through his furry neck – and briefly feeling the collar that was still hidden under there – and mindlessly listened as Azure started purring. The wolf was glad Kirby was out of there safely, and he wanted to show it.

"Kirby!"

He turned, and before he could see anything, Fumu was upon him. She took him in her arms and hugged the daylights out of him, taking him by surprise.

"Don't ever jump into a flaming alien ship when I'm around, do you hear me?"

He relaxed almost immediately. Although she was reprimanding him for his rushed actions, each word she spoke leaked with gratitude. She stepped back, looking at his face with disapproval. She touched his cheek and showed him her hand afterward; he hadn't realized it, but he was covered in soot and ashes. He was hardly even pink! He laughed in an apologetical manner and shyly rubbed the back of his head, saying:

"At least everyone's okay! Didn't think there was that much smoke up there though… Sorry to have scared you, Fumu."

She sighed deeply, pulling a strand of hair back as she did, but she smiled nonetheless… before giving him another hug, which he gave right back.

Behind Fumu, Uncle Az and Ribbon both relaxed. The larger Kiridan smirked and quietly told Ribbon:

"I have a feeling we were all meant to come here today…"

Ribbon looked back at Kirby, and thought of the Halcandran. A fairy, two Kiridans, and an Halcandran, all coming here on practically the same day. She couldn't agree more.

* * *

"Okay… Let's recap… First, Meta Knight's dad comes over, surprise, the clan is still alive and kicking somewhere in this galaxy… Also surprise, Meta is still alive, but still hiding somewhere also in this galaxy… Because why not… Then, there's Ribbon… What the hell do I do with this situation… She says she needs my help for whatever dream she had, but I can't go to Ripple Star… Can I…? Dragato would kill me… and so would the Fairies I think…"

 _"Kirby."_

"Then there's Magolor… poor guy can't recall anything… and that dragon… Hailan seemed to know stuff about it, I could ask him… Should I go ask him now? Does he even sleep?... It said I was incomplete… Incomplete…"

 _"Kirby."_

The young pacing warrior looked up at his bed; Azure was occupying three quarters of it, and was staring at him with a tired gaze.

 _"You're talking to yourself again. You should sleep."_

Kirby waved his hand, saying as he resumed pacing around the room:

"Eh, don't listen to me. I can't sleep, I got too much on my mind…"

He looked up at the table on the other side of his home. And then, there was this. The mask. It was laying on the table, left there earlier by Galacta Knight after he had received it. With a heavy, weighty sigh, Kirby walked over to it and picked it up in his hands. Quietly, he put the mask down on the ground against the wall next to the fireplace, and sat across from it, his back against his bed. The eyeless mask stared at him in silence, and Kirby did all he could to get accustomed to this strange feeling; being watched by eyes that were absent. He sighed, and ran a growing finger along the wood board on the floor, following the wood's veins. In his other hand, he held the emblem of the Khano clan, in a tight fist. There were words weighting on his little core, and as he looked up at the mask again, he straightened himself up, sighing one last time before speaking up.

"I know you're listening to me. You and I need to talk."

The mask stared back.

"You probably know it, but I'm really mad at you. Terribly angry even. I didn't think I was able to be so angry at someone for so long. It's been five years, and not a single word from you, and suddenly you're back in my life from all sides. First Uncle Az, then the news that you're lurking around as usual, and then your mask comes back in to haunt me… What do you want from me?"

The mask continued to stare, and the silence perpetuated. Kirby sighed and shifted in place, his gaze lowering down.

"I don't think you understand… how hard it's been. Not having you around, that is. I don't know… I was getting used to talking to you everyday. It's… something I grew accustomed to. It was the one thing I'd look forward to… but… I guess you needed to leave, so I can't complain. But still… you sure do know when to choose your time to do it. It's still hard… to deal with it. My DMS, I mean."

Kirby wasn't emotional, for some reason he couldn't understand. His eyes would usually feel tingly and tearful whenever he simply _thought_ of his teacher, but, at this very moment, as he was speaking his heart out to this inanimate object, he simply felt… better.

"It's always there," he continued speaking to the mask, raising his eyes back to its empty visor. "Hailan told me a bunch about it. He's got it too, and he said there's a chance it would never leave… I… I can't help but think it'd be easier to live with it if… if… well… if you were there."

He sighed, looking back down at the sigil in his hand.

"I'll find you though," he continued. "I know you're nearby… even if I have to go to Ripple Star. I'll find you."

As he finished speaking and found himself at a loss of more words, he suddenly heard Azure bark, making him jump and look back. The Wolfwrath stood up on the bed, barking toward the bedside table, and following his glare, Kirby saw what was bothering him; the bedside table was shaking! As if something inside wanted desperately to come out, it shook and pushed violently, until suddenly the only drawer it had opened wide… and out came one of the blue boxes containing his Warp Stars. It rolled on the floor and continued to shake there, a bright light emanating from inside. Hesitant, and pretty scared of this sudden reaction, Kirby held his hand forward and quickly grabbed the box. When he opened it, he had to squint his eyes at the sudden bright light that shone in his face; it was the blue Warp Star… Its light was so bright, so heavenly, so… warm, and familiar… Slowly, his eyes adjusted, and opened wide. He listened carefully… He could hear a voice. Calling his name…

As he stared deeply into the blue waves of the star, he found himself spiralling down into a world of light, a world of illusions that morphed and changed as he walked further in. The lights transformed into shapes, and colours faded in, creating a world he was most familiar with. As he walked forward, he found himself upon the beach. The sun was setting, and the sea was ablaze with a million diamonds as the waves brought in a most refreshing salty breeze. Before that sea, on the beach itself… was himself. He walked forward still, and called:

"Ah, I see you're already here. Impatient, are we?"

Kirby turned back and smiled at him; a younger Kirby, from ten years ago.

"You're late! You said to be here ten minutes ago!" the younger warrior called back.

When he arrived closer, Kirby pulled out a short sword, one used for training, and handed it toward him, handle first.

"Well, let's forget I ever said a time. Let's start right now then," he said.

The young Kirby gladly took the sword in hand and ran a few feet away from him, placing himself in position. He himself pulled out Galaxia from her scabbard, and the sun shone brightly against her blade as he took his own stance.

"Ready?" he called out to himself. "Now!"

The younger Kirby immediately ran forward, sword in hand, ready for a duel he had been expecting all day. He, too, ran forward, already dividing a strategy in his mind as their swords danced together in the fiery light of the sunset. They twirled, they dashed, they blocked and evaded, and suddenly, the swords collided in a tight lock; and the sun engulfed them both in its burning light, dissipating the world around them in an instant.

Kirby found himself in place of his young self; staring at the golden eyes of his teacher, staring in the blue eyes of a young and scarred face, staring… at himself.

The world morphed again, and they found themselves in his sanctuary, a world of stars and colourful lights, clouds and galaxies carrying them across time and space as they stood one before the other. In the distance, echoing through time, Kirby heard a song… a beautiful, familiar voice, singing a song he had heard once before, in another time and place… The one standing before him held a hand forward; smiling, inviting him on an adventure… one he couldn't refuse. And so, Kirby held his hand back; but when he touched his fingers, the one standing before him began to dissipate. Those pools of silver became horrified, terrified, as his light ate away at what he was, too pure for this scarred monster. He backed away, fighting this flesh-eating light, refusing to let it take him, and in doing so, he backed further away from Kirby, who, no matter how much he ran, couldn't catch up to him…

In an instant, he was in the dark, alone, and Meta Knight was long gone, eaten away by his own light…

And still his voice echoed, a lullaby reverberating eternally against the walls of his Universe…

 _"My boy… Understanding that the words we speak are irrelevant is of great importance to understanding why you are what you are."_

 _"I will not say it, because I am blind to what I am."_

 _"Come find me."_

 _"And we can be complete."_

"…rby!..."

 _"Come find me…"_

"…ter Kirby!..."

"Master Kirby…!"

Everything faded away…

And he found himself back in his own house, sprawled on the floor, staring up at his ceiling. He blinked many times, feeling that his eyes were somehow very dry. His mind was empty. He couldn't think about anything. Hailan and Azure were both staring at him, the first having taken his mask off. The ninja's face expressed great worry… but also wonder. She sighed in relief when she saw he was awake, and helped him to sit up, keeping him up with her arm in his back.

"Master Kirby," she spoke softly as Azure cuddled with his cold stone hands. "How… How do you feel?"

Kirby looked down, confused; the Warp Star laid there, outside of its box on the floor, as if he had dropped it. It all came back to him. Everything he had seen just now. It had been… so clear. Like he had watched it all happen right here, in real time. He gulped down, suddenly feeling something awful well up inside him. He sniffled, slightly hiccuping as he turned to his protector, blue eyes filled with unshed tears.

"H… Ha-Hailan…?"

"Yes?"

"I… I need a hug, please. I-I'm cold…"

Taken aback by the answer, Hailan only hesitated for a brief second; she wrapped her warm arms around the frightened boy, and let Kirby cuddle against the warm fur covering her body. To her surprise, she heard him cry softly… And so, letting her motherly instincts take over, she only held him a bit closer, doing her best to offer him comfort in his time of need. She didn't know what he had seen, but she knew what _she_ had seen; a nova. The birth of a star. The brightest light she had ever seen… well, the second brightest light. None would beat the brilliance of the first one… Usually, Kirby's light was strong, yes, but not as bright as it had been just now. His eyes… She would never forget them. Bright, and filled with a silver light, staring at things she couldn't see.

Slowly, his energies were fading back to normal, and as she held him in a kind embrace, slightly rocking him from left to right in a most gentle manner, she felt him doze off in her arms. She stayed there for a moment longer; somehow, a part of her didn't want that embrace to end. The poor thing had been so exhausted, he just fell asleep… She looked down at the Warp Star laying on the floor. It was blinking in and out, at an irregular pace… It was as if… it was speaking words. Could Kirby still hear it…? Nevertheless, she would need to report this to Sir Dragato. It couldn't go on any longer. If not him, at least Galacta Knight. Kirby was going through a rough time, and there was no way she would let him go through it all by himself.

Azure looked up to her with a deep worry in his eyes, and she smiled softly at him, still holding her young protégé in her cradling arms.

"He'll be alright, Azure, don't worry," she told him in a hushed voice. "He's asleep. Poor little one…"

With a soft sigh, she held Kirby a bit closer and carefully stood up, careful not to drop him. He had certainly grown a bit bigger since the first time she had seen him… As Azure got out of the way and back on the bed, she put the young boy on his pillow, pulling the covers over him. She stayed a moment longer behind, looking at his sweet sleeping face, thinking of how it looked so much like someone else's sleeping face, before leaning forward and lightly kissing him on the forehead. Without a word, she put her mask back on her face, becoming a faceless ninja once more as he headed back outside, ready to stand guard at the door for the remainder of the night.

On the way out, however, he picked the Warp Star and put it back in its box, sliding it in his own pocket. It was safer to keep it with him. When he stood outside, he picked up his radio and contacted Galacta Knight, already putting his explanation of what had just happened together on his tongue.

Inside the box, the star was still flickering, sprung back to life by this encounter…


End file.
